Crane Watching in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

With their piercing trumpet-like calls, the cranes set off in search of food at sunrise and return just as noisily in the evening. Their majestic, slender bodies stand out darkly against the glowing red sunset as they fly to their roosting places in the sheltered shore areas at dusk. Twice a year, the cranes meet in the shallow Bodden and lake waters to rest in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and provide an incomparable natural spectacle for several weeks.

In spring, with a bit of luck, you can watch the "crane dance" - the mating ritual of the cranes - on the vast pastures and meadows. In the fall, the cranes need sufficient reserves of energy before their long flight south to their wintering grounds. The harvested maize and barley fields are an ideal food reservoir for this.

Crane spectacle: the best places and times to observe the majestic birds

You can watch cranes in spring between mid-March and early April and in fall from September to the end of October.

In the most important resting area for cranes in Central Europe - the Bock-Rügen-Kirr region in the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park - up to 50,000 birds are expected at the same time in the autumn.

The Pramort observation point, a large white field on the Ostzingst, is the cranes' favorite resting place. To avoid disturbing them in their search for food, the entire area is closed to visitors. Observe without disturbing: The shy birds can only be observed with the National Park Card.Information about the crane resting area and the National Park Card can be found on the website of the Baltic Sea resort of Zingst.

But cranes can also be observed in many other regions in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, such as in the Müritz National Park at Rederangsee near Waren/Müritz. The crane ticket takes you on a guided tour to the cranes' evening roost. Further information on the crane ticket. The large birds can also be experienced up close at the Schaalsee in West Mecklenburg, in the Langhägener Seewiesen near Parchim, in the Mecklenburg Switzerland Nature Park and in the Peene Valley.

Interplay of crane protection and nature experience

In order to protect the cranes and their resting and roosting places, special regulations apply in the nature reserves during the crane season. Please only use publicly accessible paths for your crane watching and only linger at the designated viewing platforms. Please pay attention to the information boards in the nature reserves. More information about observing cranes without disturbing them.

To protect the cranes and their habitat, you can make a small donation to purchase a „Crane Protection Share“. Further information on the crane protection share.

Crane snapshot

What for some is a musical observation of nature, for many (amateur) photographers is always a popular photo motif. With large lenses and long focal lengths, the crane becomes the star of the photographers. Conservationists have built special observation posts and photo hides to ensure that the shy bird is not disturbed when resting.

Viewpoints for an Uninterrupted View of the Majestic Large Birds

To the map

Bird watching point Pramort

Open today
18374 Pramort

From September to November, you can witness an impressive spectacle from the Pramort crane roosting site, when the cranes form a wedge-shaped formation or line up in a long chain as they approach their roosts.

Birdwatching Point Pramort Hohe Düne

Freely accessible at any time
18374 Pramort

In front of Pramort is the most important migratory resting place of the Gray Crane. The presence of humans causes the large birds to become anxious. They become nervous, turn away, waste valuable energy, which they urgently need for the still long flight to the winter quarters. In the worst case, they may abandon their roost - permanently.

National park house on Hiddensee

Open today
Norderende, 18565 Vitte/Hiddensee

"Veränderung" (change) is the title of the exhibition in the visitor information centre of the National Park “Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft” and hardly anything could be more appropriate for the island of Hiddensee, which is constantly growing and changing due to the forces of nature.

National park visitor centre in Federow

Damerower Straße, 17192 Kargow OT Federow

The Müritz National Park: famous for its sea-eagles, ospreys and thousands of rabbits that rest here in the autumn and spring.

National Park exhibition “Insel Schatz Ummanz“ in Waase

Neue Straße, 18569 Waase/ Ummanz

The little village Waase, located on the isle of Ummanz, combines the scenic indentation and the island and timbered idyll. The visitor information and a small national park exhibition are combined under the thatched roof of the ”Alte Küsterei”. The colourful diversity of the isle of Ummanz and the national park represent the main focus of the small exhibition that has been renewed in 2018.

CRANORAMA at Lake Günz

18445 Günz

The KRANORAMA at Lake Günz is a modern and accessible observation station for cranes, which was opened in 2015. It is located near Groß Mohrdorf and allows undisturbed and natural observations, also of other resting birds and birds of prey.