Each year, some 100 000 cranes migrate across western Europe, stopping off in the Baltic region to restock their energy reserves for the long flight south.

Cranes stopping off in the Baltic region
© Eibner/imago

Time for a break! The most important resting place for gray cranes as they migrate south is Pramort, the easternmost tip of the Zingst peninsula. The Lufthansa heraldic bird descends on the harvested fields there to stock up for its onward journey to southern Europe and Africa. The best time to observe these “birds of fortune,” as they are known, is dusk. They look amazing as they rise into the sky in wedge formations, spreading their great wings (with a span of up to two-and-a-half meters) and head to their resting places for the night.