Ghost Forest Nienhagen (Gespensterwald)

Tall, bare trunks leaning away from the sea, topped by a canopy the wind seems to have trimmed with shears: the Gespensterwald ("ghost forest") in the Baltic resort of Nienhagen, between Rostock-Warnemünde and Heiligendamm, is one of the most unusual woods on the German coast. It runs right along a cliff about twelve metres high, with glimpses of the sea between the trees. It is at its most atmospheric at dusk or in fog, when the twisted branches really do look like ghosts.

What makes the forest special

The ghost forest is the coastal strip of the Nienhäger Holz, about 1.25 km long and 100 m wide, part of a mixed woodland of some 180 hectares. It is mostly beech, with oak, hornbeam and ash, some trees up to 170 years old. Salty, damp sea air and constant wind have shaped them over many years: the crowns grow lopsided, the branches twist like snakes. Between the tall, smooth trunks you feel as if you are walking through a hall of grey columns. The exact origin of the name is unknown; locals describe it as the place "where the wind mows the grass".

The coast is constantly changing. On average about 25 cm of cliff breaks away each year, so some trees already stand right at the edge. Around one and a half kilometres offshore lies an artificial reef used for research.

What to see

• The beech column hall: At the heart of the forest the slender, smooth trunks stand especially close together, a favourite photo subject.
• The cliff: From the path along the edge you look down on the beach and the sea. Stay on the paths, as the edge can give way.
• The E9: The European long-distance path runs along the coast right through the forest as a walking and cycling route.
• On to Börgerende: Beyond the ghost forest a coastal path continues to the neighbouring village of Börgerende.

Costs, getting there and parking (as of October 2026)

The forest is open at all times and free to enter. However, Nienhagen charges a year-round visitor tax: €2 per person per day from May to September, €1 from October to April; children under 16 are exempt. Day visitors pay it at the combined visitor-tax and parking machines in the village or at the resort office. By car, drive from Rostock or Bad Doberan to Nienhagen and use one of the paid car parks in the village, which borders the forest directly. Note that two beach access stairways in Nienhagen ("Schulweg" and "Technopark") were closed in 2025 because they were at risk of collapse; follow the signs on site.

Tripto tip

A walk through the forest takes about an hour; with the coastal path to Börgerende and back, allow two to three hours. Come early in the morning or at dusk, when it is quieter and the light between the trunks is at its best. In autumn and winter, when the trees are bare, the forest looks even more ghostly. Warnemünde and Heiligendamm are each only a few kilometres away.