Gespensterwald, Nienhagen, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Germany

© mauritius images GmbH/Alam

Into the woods. Gespensterwald, Nienhagen, Germany

On Germany's Baltic coast lies the Gespensterwald, which means 'Ghost Forest,' seen in today's image. This spine-tingling forest covers about 445 acres, with its gnarled beech, hornbeam, ash, and oak trees twisting toward the sky. The salty sea air, wind, and the moist climate helped mold the trees' distorted shapes, which look particularly haunting at night. Visitors to this forest in the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania region, can brave the trails alone or sign up for a storytelling session where actors dressed as ghosts bring local legends and folktales to life. Photographers and nature enthusiasts alike find inspiration in the eerie silhouettes etched against the sky, immortalized in countless pictures.