Darßer Ort lighthouse and the Libbertsee from Prerow

The walk starts at the Bernsteinweg car park on the north-west side of Prerow. It follows a sand path behind the dunes of the Nordstrand, the north beach, for about 3 km to the Ottosee at the Darßer Ort. There it joins the Rundwanderweg Darßer Ort: boardwalks over wet alder woods and dunes, a loop round the Libbertsee with a viewing platform, and a path to the lighthouse and the Natureum. The way back is the Leuchtturmweg, a forest path through the Darßwald to Prerow.

It is 12.2 km round and flat, with no real climb; allow about 3 hours. The grade is Moderate on length alone, since the walking-time bands put 3 hours and more at Moderate; the going is level sand, boardwalk and forest path. The national park's page for the loop gives the same route (Bernsteinweg car park, along the north beach, the Natureum, back by the lighthouse path); its path list gives the Rundwanderweg Darßer Ort itself as 4 km, and this walk adds the approach from the Prerow car park and the way back.

This is the core zone of the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park. Paths must be followed strictly, dogs must be kept on a lead, and fires and drones are banned. The boardwalks protect the dunes and the wet woods, which a wrong step damages quickly. The park says roots, deep loose sand and puddles are common, so wear proper shoes.

The Bernsteinweg car parks are charged: OpenStreetMap tags them as fee-paying. The Natureum and lighthouse can be reached from Prerow on foot, by bicycle or by horse-drawn carriage, so expect cyclists on the forest path; the park's page gives no opening times for the Natureum or the tower, which are on the Natureum's own website.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.