Map › Germany › Ostsee — Falckensteiner Strand to Surendorf › Falckensteiner Strand
Ostsee (Schleswig-Holstein) · Kieler Förde · Kiel
Falckensteiner Strand
also known as Falckenstein, Falckenstein Leuchtturm, Friedrichsort
Nearby Laboe 3 km · Bülker Leuchtturm 6 km · Heidkate 9 km · Surendorf 11 km · Grönwohld 12 km · Lindhöft 16 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
Direction
Character
synoptic
Typical strength
No measurement at the beach. The airport station a few kilometres inland averages about 9 knots over the year with 15-knot gusts, and the outer-fjord lighthouse station about 15 knots; both are dominated by SW and WSW, the one sector this beach cannot use, so neither number describes a rideable day here. Indicative only.
Thermal or synoptic
synoptic Baltic/fjord wind
Direction to shore
On the west shore of the fjord everything from NE round through E to S arrives onshore or side-onshore, so a failed session drifts you back to the beach rather than out into the Foerde. N runs cross-shore down the fjord, and W-sector wind comes over the high ground behind the beach and never really lands.
Dominant direction
E and N are the best directions; N, NNO, NE, SE, SSE and S also work. Anything from N round to SE blows in freely, while westerlies are blocked by the higher hinterland.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan65
- Feb53
- Mar48
- Apr45
- May40
- Jun38
- Jul44
- Aug23
- Sep30
- Oct42
- Nov47
- Dec55
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
- 65%Jan4°
- 53%Feb4°
- 48%Mar5°
- 45%Apr8°
- 40%May14°
- 38%Jun19°
- 44%Jul20°
- 23%Aug20°
- 30%Sep18°
- 42%Oct13°
- 47%Nov9°
- 55%Dec5°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 71% | 68% | 15.3 kt | WSW | 13:00 | 3.7°C | 4.2°C | 62 |
| Feb | 53% | 63% | 60% | 14.2 kt | W | 13:00 | 4.8°C | 3.7°C | 57 |
| Mar | 48% | 66% | 55% | 13.3 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 5.4°C | 5.2°C | 62 |
| Apr | 45% | 67% | 55% | 13.2 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 7.6°C | 8.2°C | 60 |
| May | 40% | 53% | 47% | 12.2 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 12.8°C | 13.9°C | 62 |
| Jun | 38% | 57% | 50% | 12.1 kt | W | 15:00 | 16.2°C | 18.8°C | 60 |
| Jul | 44% | 77% | 65% | 13.5 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 17.3°C | 19.6°C | 62 |
| Aug | 23% | 42% | 37% | 11.2 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 18.4°C | 19.8°C | 62 |
| Sep | 30% | 52% | 42% | 11.5 kt | ENE | 14:00 | 15.7°C | 18.4°C | 60 |
| Oct | 42% | 65% | 53% | 13.1 kt | SW | 13:00 | 11.8°C | 13.2°C | 62 |
| Nov | 47% | 60% | 55% | 12.6 kt | SSW | 12:00 | 6.3°C | 9°C | 60 |
| Dec | 55% | 71% | 66% | 14.6 kt | WSW | 13:00 | 3.7°C | 5.1°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
Baltic Sea fjord beach / shallow water
Standing depth
Shallow enough to stand over a wide area. The best of it is the spit by the Friedrichsort lighthouse; there is a second shallow flat at the north end in front of the watersports station, but that one sits inside the school training area and is closed to kites.
Tides
Baltic Sea tides are negligible; local water level can still vary with wind and storm surge.
Temperature
17.7°C summer · 3.9°C winter
Wetsuit
Full wetsuit recommended most of the year; summer can be thin full suit or shorty in warm spells, winter requires thick neoprene and cold-water gear.
Currents
In east wind the current reportedly runs hard along this beach. It is noticeably weaker at the lighthouse end than at the bridge about 150 m further east. No official measurement.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: large
Somewhere else
Laboe, 3 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Wide sandy beach with the kiting at the Friedrichsort lighthouse end, away from the watersports station at the north end. Paid parking at the main beach in summer, about 300 m back from the water, and a small paid car park near the lighthouse.From Kiel take the B503 north over the canal, exit at Schilksee, turn into Koppelberg, then Palisadenweg and Falkenhorst, which drops down the hill to the beach.
Space
large
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Wear booties and check the entry: stones and shells everywhere, the big ones near the surf school.
- Trust E and N-sector forecasts; a W forecast is a no-show at this beach.
- Stay out of the bathing zone and the Westwind training area; the boundaries are signposted on the beach.
- On hot summer days the car parks fill; come by bus, bike or the seasonal ferry to Falckenstein instead.
- In east wind pick the lighthouse end over the bridge end; the current there is reportedly weaker.
- Paid parking at the main beach; the lighthouse car park is small and also paid, so arrive early.
- NE through S blows onshore or side-onshore, so a swim in is short - the saving grace of a stony beginner beach.
- Beach watch is 0431 39 12 03, but the crew at the main tower is there for swimmers, not for a kiter downwind.
- Bus 502 to An der Schanze plus the beach shuttle, or the fjord ferry in summer, saves the parking hunt.
- Dogs and horses are off the main beach from 1 April to 31 October; the animal beach is the strip toward Schilksee.
Getting there
Airport
Hamburg Airport (HAM)
Route
Drive from Hamburg Airport toward Kiel and Friedrichsort, or take a train to Kiel Hbf and then bus 502 to the An der Schanze stop, where a beach shuttle covers the last stretch. In summer the fjord ferry runs to the Falckenstein landing.Bike and taxi both work from the city, and on a hot day either beats the car parks.
Transfer
65 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Kiel city hotels, apartments, Schilksee/Friedrichsort stays, and beach/camping-style options nearby.
No-wind days
Kieler Förde ferry ride · Kiel waterfront and sailing city attractions · Laboe naval memorial and U-995 submarine · SUP or sailing at Westwind
Photos
FAQ
Is Falckensteiner Strand suitable for beginners?
Yes, the wide sandy beach and good shallow standing-depth water make it suitable for beginners and freeriders, though stones and current can still complicate a first session.
What is the wind like?
East and north-sector winds arrive cleanly across the fjord, while westerly wind is blocked by the higher land behind the beach and southerly wind can be gusty.
Are there rules to follow?
Yes, kiting is not allowed in the Westwind surf school's training area or in the designated bathing zone.
What hazards should riders watch for?
Many stones and shells are reported on the beach and in the water, especially near the surf school, and local reports describe stronger current in east wind.
Last updated: August 2026