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Gollendorf

Schleswig-Holstein · Kreis Ostholstein · Gollendorf / Lemkenhafen; larger services in Burg auf Fehmarn

also known as Fehmarn Gollendorf, Gollendorf / Fehmarn, Orther Reede Gollendorf

Part of Fehmarn →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

flat waterbeginner-friendlymedium crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Apr–Oct

Months riders and schools name

How windy

13 knots

Character: mixed

Room to launch

huge

access rules on record, below

Water

flat

18 °C in summer

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

medium crowds · busy June July August September

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

90 min

Hamburg Airport (HAM)

When it fills in

No daily cycle to wait for. The wind is synoptic: either the gradient is there or it is not, so a day can be on at eight and gone by noon, or hold from dawn to dark. Read the forecast, not the clock.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Lemkenhafenno page yet
Orthno page yet
Goldno page yet
Wulfenno page yet
Meeschendorfno page yet
Miramarno page yet

The spot

Gollendorf sits on the south-west side of Fehmarn, and you ride inside the Orther Reede, not on the open Baltic Sea. That matters: most of the bay is waist deep, flat to light chop, and you can stand up, sort out your lines and walk back, which is why the schools park their beginner groups here.

Getting in

The catch is the shore. You rig on grass behind the dike and get in via two concrete ramps through a stone-protected bank, and lines snag on those stones, so if the launch is not second nature, walk down the ramp and start in the water.

Wind and zones

Usable wind runs from west through south to east/southeast; southwest to southeast is best, while north and northwest come over land and arrive gusty. The bay is part of Fehmarn's official surf-zone system, and the spit east of the launch and the reserve at Krummsteert, around Orther Reede, are off limits, so read the map before you go out.

Seasons

In season it is a school-and-cafe scene, lesson traffic thick close to the beach and more room from about 300 m out; outside summer it is quieter and colder, and still rideable if your neoprene is up to it.

The wind

Direction

cross-shoreWest

Direction to shore

West and east arrive sideshore along this shore. Southerly directions come in at an angle onshore and put a short chop on the bay. North to northwest crosses the island first and arrives gusty, and Orth also blankets part of the northwest.

Dominant direction

West, southwest, south and east/southeast are repeatedly listed as usable; southwest to southeast is described as best by Kitedrop, and W/SW/S/E/SE by Kitenoobs.

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

Indicative bands rather than a local table, for 75-85 kg on a twintip: 12 m when it is 12-15 knots, 10 m at 15-18, 9 m around 20, 8 m from 20-24 and 7 m or less once it is over 25. A 9 and a 12 cover most of what the season delivers here.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

Typical strength

There is no measurement at Gollendorf itself. The nearest station on the island with a long record, roughly 9 km east on the exposed side, averages 13 knots across the year with gusts around 18, so plan for usable days somewhere between 12 and 25 knots, and winter lows that go well past that.

Synoptic Baltic wind, so read the forecast. Fehmarn is reliable by German standards, but there is no wind statistic for Gollendorf itself and the days come on and off.

The warm-water season is April to October, June-August the warmest months; the main season is more like May-September, with good days still in October and November. Winter is often windier, but it is cold and only for riders with proper winter neoprene.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

Jan92
Feb88
Mar79
Apr, riders' month83
May, riders' month75
Jun, riders' month69
Jul, riders' month75
Aug, riders' month68
Sep, riders' month67
Oct, riders' month85
Nov82
Dec81

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.

18 ktJan4°
18 ktFeb4°
15 ktMar5°
15 ktApr8°
15 ktMay13°
13 ktJun18°
14 ktJul19°
13 ktAug20°
13 ktSep18°
16 ktOct13°
15 ktNov9°
16 ktDec5°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2020-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds.

Every figure, month by monthForce 4+ · Knots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Force 4+	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	92%	17.6 kt	WSW	3.8 °C	4.3 °C
Feb	88%	18.3 kt	WSW	4.3 °C	3.7 °C
Mar	79%	14.7 kt	WSW	5.1 °C	5 °C
Apr	83%	14.9 kt	ENE	7.4 °C	7.8 °C
May	75%	14.5 kt	WNW	11.9 °C	13 °C
Jun	69%	13.1 kt	WNW	16.6 °C	18.2 °C
Jul	75%	14.4 kt	W	17.9 °C	19.4 °C
Aug	68%	13.1 kt	W	18.7 °C	19.7 °C
Sep	67%	13.4 kt	E	16 °C	18.3 °C
Oct	85%	15.8 kt	SSW	12.2 °C	13.4 °C
Nov	82%	15.4 kt	SW	7.6 °C	9.1 °C
Dec	81%	15.8 kt	WSW	4.1 °C	5.4 °C

How this is modelledmodelled · 2020-2024

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

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.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2020-2024

The water

Type

flat

Standing depth

Large shallow standing-depth area in Orther Reede; most of the water is only waist deep, with a big standing area and flatwater lagoon.

Tides

Effectively tide independent for riding. The Baltic Sea has only small tidal ranges; Fehmarn-specific tide pages show roughly 0.1-0.2 m ranges, and Baltic Sea water level is mainly wind driven rather than a North Sea-style ebb/flood cycle.

Temperature

18 °C summer · 4 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 4–20 °C

Wetsuit

Plan on a wetsuit almost all year. July/August water temperature averages around 18 °C, winter around 2–4 °C; recommended is 3/2 mm or shorty only in midsummer, 4/3 mm in autumn, and 5/4 to 6/5 mm with hood, gloves and boots in cold months.

Currents

No significant tidal current is documented for the spot; expect Baltic wind setup/seiche water-level changes rather than predictable tidal flow.

Conditions

The riding area is protected flatwater to light chop inside Orther Reede rather than an open Baltic wave spot, with very little wave at Gollendorf; waves occur much farther out toward the Krummsteert sandbank, which is not the normal beginner area.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

The shallow, flat standing area is where the schools run their beginner courses, and anyone above that level has room to freeride. The entry is the part that bites: stones, concrete ramps and lines snagging near the shore, so beginners should start with an instructor or from the water and keep well off the beach.

The scene

What riders come here for

beginner lessonsflatwater freeridefreestyle practiceprogression in shallow waterfamily-friendly sessions with cafe and toilets in season

A school beach, not a remote one: training groups close to the bay, a cafe at the Primesurf station, camps and accommodation packages on offer, and a motorhome area that fills quickly on weekends and holidays.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

9 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: huge

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

6 spots nearby

All 6 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

No lifeguard here.

The DLRG watches Altenteil, Burgtiefe, Bojendorf/Wallnau, Strukkamphuk, Meeschendorf and Grüner Brink in the summer months, and Gollendorf is on none of those lists, so cover comes down to the schools on the beach while they are open and the 112 emergency number otherwise.

The real safety net is the bay: most of Orther Reede is waist deep and you can stand up and walk.

Launch

Rig on the big grass area by the station, behind the dike, then walk down one of the two asphalt/concrete ramps built through the stone bank. Before the ramps you carried gear over the rocks; the ramps ended that.

Hazards riders report 6 reported

Wind

Northerly to northwesterly wind comes over land and arrives gusty; not recommended.
The dike makes onshore wind turbulent near the launch; start well away from it.

Crowds and zones

Lesson traffic is thick close to the beach and the exit lane gets busy; several schools teach here, and the room starts about 300 m off the shore.

Protected areas and rules

Large stones/rock protection at the shoreline and entry; entry and exit require care.
Lines catch on the stone moles and the shore protection; beginners have been told to start in the water for this reason since at least 2024.
Protected land at Krummsteert and the small spit east of the launch must not be entered.

Rules & access

1 min read

As of 2026: ride only in the permitted Fehmarn watersport zones shown on local signage, the Fehmarn surfspot maps and the 'Gelbe Planke' wayfinding boards; watersport is banned in nature reserves and closed zones.

The city's 2026 watersport-and-nature leaflet defines the permitted kite and surf areas, and mobile surf and kite schools have to register with the city administration. Krummsteert and the small spit that separates Lemkenhafen from the rest of Orther Reede are protected and must not be entered, from Gollendorf included.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Walk down the ramp and water-start if launching beside the stones is not second nature to you.
In onshore wind give yourself extra distance from the dike and the stone bank before you power up; the wind is turbulent right at the shore.
When the bay is full of lessons the room starts roughly 300 m out; go there only if your upwind riding and self-rescue are solid.
Skip Gollendorf in north to northwest wind and drive to a Fehmarn spot that faces it; here it arrives over land and gusty.
Read the current Fehmarn watersport map and the signs before rigging; the spit east of the launch and Krummsteert are bird-protection areas and closed.
Pack a 4/3 mm for autumn and a 5/4 or 6/5 mm with hood, gloves and boots for the cold months; a 3/2 mm or shorty only works in midsummer.
Parking at the spot is paid, around 4 euros a day for a car and 8 for a camper at the last published rate, taken at the car park by the snack bar.
Nobody is watching the water for you: there is no lifeguard station on this bay, so ride within your self-rescue and use the standing depth.

Getting there

Airport

Hamburg Airport (HAM) is the main practical international airport; Luebeck (LBC) is closer by distance but has fewer flight options.

Route

By car, follow the Fehmarnsund Bridge onto Fehmarn, then drive toward Lemkenhafen/Gollendorf. Public transport is possible to Fehmarn-Burg or Burg auf Fehmarn with onward local transport, but a car is useful for shifting spots by wind direction.

Transfer

90 min

Staying

Primesurf sells accommodation packages and guesthouse beds tied to its Fehmarn courses. There is camper/motorhome parking near the spot, and the usual Fehmarn holiday lets in the nearby villages.

No-wind days

SUP, cafe time at the Gollendorf station, cycling on the dikes, Wakepark Fehmarn, beach activities, and nature/bird-watching trips around Fehmarn.

Photos

FAQ

Is Gollendorf suitable for beginners?

Yes, the broad, shallow, mostly waist-deep standing area is repeatedly recommended for lessons, though the stone-protected shoreline means beginners are advised to water-start rather than launch from the beach.

What is the wind like?

West, southwest, south and east to southeast are the usable directions; north to northwest wind comes over land and is described as gusty and not recommended.

When is the best time to go?

The practical season runs April to October, with June to August the warmest, though some good days extend into October and November.

Are there rules or restricted zones?

Yes, riders must stay within the permitted Fehmarn watersport zones marked by local signage, and the protected Krummsteert spit east of the launch must not be entered.

Are there kite schools nearby?

Yes, Primesurf Fehmarn runs its station directly at Gollendorf, and mobile schools such as Kitemonkey also teach there depending on wind direction.

The bigger pictureEverything about Fehmarn

Last updated: August 2026