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.
