Nature on Møn
Chalk cliffs, forests, beaches, bird meadows and Dark Sky Park
The nature on Møn consists of chalk cliffs, beech forest, flat sandy beaches and bird meadows on an island of 217.75 km². Best known is Møns Klint on the east coast: the cliffs are about 6 km long and rise 128 m above the Baltic Sea. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 13 July 2025. In the north lie Ulvshale with its coastal forest and Nyord with its bird meadows, and at night the Dark Sky Park shows the stars.
Møns Klint: the chalk cliffs
Møns Klint is the eastern edge of the Høje Møn hills. The cliff drops vertically into the Baltic Sea, and its highest point is Dronningestolen at 128 m. Five staircases lead down to the beach beneath the cliff, and the Maglevandstrappen at the GeoCenter has 497 steps and, according to Naturstyrelsen, is regarded as the longest staircase in Denmark. The beach is strewn with flint stones, boulders and fossils. The GeoCenter names sea urchins and belemnites, also called thunderbolts, as typical finds from the chalk sea. The beach is one for walking, not a bathing spot.
The cliff keeps changing. Wind, rain and frost loosen chalk and clay, and falls happen every year, most often in winter and spring. So do not climb on the wall, and respect any barriers.
Forests and walking trails
Around the cliff lies the Klinteskoven, a beech forest that, according to Naturstyrelsen, holds some of the oldest beeches in Denmark. On Ulvshale in the north-west of the island, forest covers about half of the peninsula. It has been protected since 1839 (Wikipedia). Behind the beach, old beach ridges form waves in the forest floor, and a dyke protects the forest from salt water and seaweed at high tide (Naturstyrelsen).
For walking there is the marked long-distance trail Camønoen: 175 km in ten stages and two shortcuts across Møn, Bogø and Nyord (Museum Sydøstdanmark). The routes at the cliff are described on the page Hiking on Møn.
Birds on Nyord
Nyord is a small island of 4.99 km² with 33 residents (1 January 2026), connected to Ulvshale by a bridge since 1968. According to Fugleværnsfonden, the Nyord Enge bird meadows are a resting site of international importance for ducks, geese and waders. In winter the meadows are flooded with salt water, and in summer cows graze there (Visit Denmark). You watch from the bird tower, which stands by the road in the middle of the meadows. On the meadows south of the road, entry is prohibited from 15 March to 15 July (Naturstyrelsen).
Dark Sky Park
In 2017 the International Dark Sky Association designated Møn and Nyord as the first Dark Sky Park in the Nordic countries. Stargazing spots are the park at Liselund and the bird tower on Nyord. The experience costs nothing; you need warm clothing and a red light. More is on the page Stargazing on Møn.
Beaches and coast
Møn has flat sandy beaches in the north and south. Ulvshale Strand has kilometres of white sand and shallow water (Naturstyrelsen), and Råbylille Strand in the south-east has fine sand and is about 300 m long (Visit Denmark). Beneath the chalk cliffs, by contrast, the beach is made of flint and fossils. All the beaches are compared on the page Beaches on Møn, and swimming is covered on the page Swimming on the island of Møn. More about the places: Ulvshale and Råbylille Strand.
- 1: Møns Klint (cliff)
- 2: GeoCenter Møns Klint
- 3: Liselund (park and castle)
- 4: Ulvshale Strand
- 5: Nyord (village)
- 6: Råbylille Strand
Liselund and the park
Liselund is a landscape park from the late 18th century on the edge of the cliff. The National Museum calls it the best-preserved romantic garden in Denmark. The park is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm and is free to enter. You can visit the castle only in summer, on a guided tour (in 2026 from 1 July to 30 September).
The geology behind the landscape
The chalk on Møn is about 70 million years old. It formed from the shells of billions of tiny calcareous algae that sank to the floor of a warm sea and hardened there (GeoCenter Møns Klint). In the last ice age, glaciers pushed the layers together and lifted them into today's cliffs. The GeoCenter Møns Klint at the cliff explains this in an exhibition. More background is on the page Geology of Møn.
If you want to stay close to nature, you will find holiday homes on Møn and campsites. When to travel is covered on the page Weather and best time to visit, and the way to the island is described on the page Getting to the island of Møn.
FAQ
What is the best-known natural feature on Møn?
The chalk cliffs of Møns Klint on the east coast. The cliffs are about 6 km long, and their highest point, Dronningestolen, stands 128 m above the sea (Naturstyrelsen). Møns Klint has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 13 July 2025.
How old is the chalk on Møn?
The chalk formed about 70 million years ago, when a warm sea covered northern Europe. Glaciers of the last ice age later pushed the chalk layers together and lifted them up (GeoCenter Møns Klint).
Where can you watch birds on Møn?
On Nyord. According to Fugleværnsfonden, the Nyord Enge bird meadows are a resting site of international importance for ducks, geese and waders. The bird tower stands by the road in the middle of the meadows (Visit Denmark). On the meadows south of the road, entry is prohibited from 15 March to 15 July (Naturstyrelsen).
What is the Møn and Nyord Dark Sky Park?
In 2017 the International Dark Sky Association designated Møn and Nyord as the first Dark Sky Park in the Nordic countries. Stargazing spots include the park at Liselund and the bird tower on Nyord.
Partner links: we earn a commission on bookings, the price does not change for you.
Find a place to stay on Møn
More on Møn
