Under the starry sky

Where the forest thins out to reveal the view above, a tremendous sight opens up. At night, a vast canopy of stars appears in the state - anyone who has seen it once will probably never forget it. But there are also many exciting and beautiful things to see on the ground throughout Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, especially at dusk or in the dark - here are a few examples.

Table of contents
1. View to the man in the moon
2. On bat hunt
3. Visit to the bear forest
4. Dance of the cranes
5. Deer rutting in Darss forest
6. On the road in the moonlight

The sky over Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is over the Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide Nature Park in the Mecklenburg Lake District largely free of light pollution, so there is no artificial light to disturb the view of the stars. This allows nature lovers to marvel unhindered at the vast canopy of stars that twinkles across the firmament. With the naked eye, one can admire the Milky Way or the craters of the moon, which is hardly possible anywhere else in Germany.

That's why the nature park is currently working on certification as a star park (a specially designated area with a natural night landscape and star-filled skies). Just like Mecklenburg ParkLand some 60 kilometers to the northeast - where, among other things, an astro nature trail is being created with six thematic sky and nature observation stations.

This is how you get to the Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide Nature Park by train and bus: Plan arrival.

Tonight, not only the animals of the forest are active. A small group of courageous people has been on the move since dusk, roaming through the dark thicket of the Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide Nature Park. The curiosity of the nature lovers is directed at winged creatures of the night, around which countless myths are woven. Bat walks are very popular, and they also take place in other places in the state, for example as "Bat Night" in Hohenwoos near Ludwigslust or at the International Bat Night at the Naturerbe Zentrum Rügen.

The Microchiroptera (bats) are popularly considered dangerous bloodsuckers, were hunted in the Middle Ages. However, only the vampire bats feed exclusively on the blood of other creatures, and they certainly do not occur here in northern Germany. But the 17 other species (out of a total of about 1,000) that live in the nature park are extremely useful. They protect the flora from pests and exterminate mountains of mosquitoes, for which the group of bat hunters is extremely grateful tonight.

This is how you get to the Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide Nature Park by train and bus: Plan arrival.

Even bears can be admired in a natural habitat in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, albeit as part of a project. As Western Europe's largest bear conservation center, the Müritz Bear Forest is located in the heart of the Lake District. There, the powerful predators, rescued from precarious situations, find a species-appropriate habitat. For visitors, the animals are best seen at dusk - magical moments when the animals bathe, frolic or relax.

How to get to the Bear Park Müritz by train and bus: Plan arrival.

The wildlife of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is truly diverse, not only bats and bears attract nature lovers to the countryside at unusual times. It is an unforgettable spectacle when the cranes stop twice a year for a while in the shallow Bodden and lake waters of the state on their long journey to and from the south - the sight of the elegant birds is unique when they fly to their roosts in the shallow Bodden and lake waters in the evening before the glowing red sunset.

This is how you get to the Bodden waters by train and bus: Plan arrival.

During a guided excursion through the enchanted Darßwald forest at the northernmost tip of Fischland-Darß-Zingst you can see deer in the wild especially at dusk. A special spectacle is the red deer rut in autumn, which is accompanied by the loud roaring of the deer. Especially at dusk the mighty red deer become active and compete for the favor of the females. The goal of the excursion is the dune landscape at the viewing platform at Darßer Ort - from there you have a great view of the unique natural landscape of the core zone. And: Beside the animal world also the various plant world in this area is explained. The tour is led by an experienced national park ranger.

This is how you get to the dunes by train and bus: Plan arrival.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also offers many other attractions after dark. Guided moonlight hikes to the Granitz hunting lodge, for example, which is located in the forest high above the seaside resort of Binz at Rügen lies. Every Thursday "Neustrelitz by night", a 90-minute tour of the illuminated residential town. The long night of art in August in the Artists' village Ahrenshoop. And much more.

But where is it most beautiful when the night ends and the sun winks over the horizon? Many believe that the best place to experience this magical moment is on the island of Rügen, in the Jasmund National Park in the northeastern part of the island. There, at dawn, you walk with a flashlight through the forest to the Königsstuhl National Park Center - and enjoy the most fantastic sunrise over the Baltic Sea from the famous, 118-meter-high chalk cliff.

This is how you get to Jasmund National Park by train: Plan arrival.

Cover photo: At night in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern you can see as far as the Milky Way - just like that, with the naked eye © TMV/Gänsicke