{{Short description|Peninsula in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany}} {{Unreferenced|date=August 2023}} The '''Darß''' or '''Darss''' ({{IPA|de|daʁs|-|De-Darß.ogg}}) is the middle part of the peninsula of [[Fischland-Darß-Zingst]] on the southern shore of the [[Baltic Sea]] in the [[Germany|German]] state of [[Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania]]. The peninsula's name is of [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] origin. There is a large forest in the Darß. In recent times, the name "Darß" has also been used to refer to the entire peninsula.
The Darß is famous for being a resting place for tens of thousands of migrating [[crane (bird)|crane]]s and [[goose|geese]]. Tourism has long been a source of income and has increased since [[German reunification]], but the Darß is still far from being a crowded tourist place.
[[Image:Darss NVP.png|thumb|Location of the Darß in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.]]
== Location and character ==
The Darß lies northeast of [[Fischland]] and west of the peninsula of [[Zingst]], its boundary with the latter being formed by the inlet of the [[Prerower Strom]]. To the north lies the [[Baltic Sea]]; to the south the lagoons of [[Saaler Bodden]] and [[Bodstedter Bodden]], which belong to the [[Darss-Zingst Bodden Chain]]. The Darß measures between {{convert|10|and|12|km}} from north to south and from east to west and is home to the villages of [[Born a. Darß]], [[Prerow]] and [[Wieck a. Darß|Wieck]]. The village of Ahrenshoop in the municipality of [[Ahrenshoop]] belongs to Vordarß, whilst the southern villages in Ahrenshoop, [[Althagen]] and [[Niehagen]], are part of Fischland.
Most of the Darß is covered by the woodland of the [[Darß Forest]], {{convert|5,800|ha}} in area. On the northern tip of the Darß, at [[Darßer Ort]], is a [[lighthouse]] of the same name. The National Park exhibition in Wieck a. Darß provides information about the geological development as well as the flora and fauna of the [[Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park]], as does the [[Darßer Ort Natureum|Natureum]] in Wieck a. Darß attached to the [[Darßer Ort Lighthouse]], as outstations of the [[German Oceanographic Museum]] in [[Stralsund]]. Darßer Ort is an extended chain of sandbanks running in a northeasterly direction. The entire area around Darßer Ort as well as the northwestern part of the Darß Forest is part of Protection Zone I of the National Park and may only be visited on marked paths. The rest of the forested region is also part of the National Park.
==External links== {{Commons}} * [http://www.fischland-darss-zingst.de/ official site] * [http://www.darss-aufdersonnenseite.de/ Darß Auf der Sonnenseite]
{{coord|54|25|N|12|32|E|type:isle|display=title}}
[[Image:Prerow leuchtturm.jpg|thumb|left|Lighthouse ''Darßer Ort'']] [[Image:Darss Küste.jpg|thumb|left|West coast of the Darß]] [[Image:Darsser ort 1835-2007.gif|thumb|Coastal changes of ''Darßer Ort'' 1835–2007.]]
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Darss}} [[Category:German islands in the Baltic]] [[Category:Peninsulas of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] [[Category:Fischland-Darß-Zingst]]