Large expanses of the peninsula are under a nature conservation order, like the kilometers-long West Beach, which is fully exposed to the forces of nature, and the Darss Forest, which is criss-crossed by hiking paths. The main town on Darss is the Baltic spa resort of Prerow with its broad sandy beach. Also worth seeing are the sailors' houses with their carved and painted doors as well as the Fisherman's Church with its numerous model ships. Also pretty is Ahrenshoop. More than one hundred years ago, an artists' colony was set up in the village with the reed-covered fisherman's cottages. Art still plays an important role here. The Künstlerhaus Lukas offers residencies to artists from across Europe. The Kunstkaten, once the first gallery in Ahrenshoop, also exhibits artworks made by the local painters and potters.