Fehmarn is joined to the mainland by one of the most recognisable bridges in Germany, a steel arch about a kilometre long that spans the Fehmarnsund and carries both road and rail. Opened in 1963, it has an elegant, slightly improbable shape, and locals call it the coat hanger. The bridge was built as part of the so-called Bird Flight Line, a transport route linking Hamburg with Copenhagen via the island and a ferry to Denmark, and it has been the main way on and off Fehmarn ever since.
A far bigger project is now taking shape just to the east. A road and rail tunnel is being built under the Fehmarn Belt to link Germany and Denmark directly, a project that has been discussed for decades and has already changed the look of the island's northern shore with construction sites and new roads. When it opens, the ferries that have crossed here for generations will lose most of their traffic.
Riding across the bridge is a small thrill, though a windy one, since the crossing is exposed and gusts can be strong. Once on the island, you ride through a flat, open landscape of big fields, wind turbines, sheep grazing on the dikes and small brick villages, with the sea showing in glimpses on every side. The roads are straight and gently curved, and traffic is light except on summer weekends, when holidaymakers fill the beaches and the roads to them.
Fehmarn is a cyclists' paradise, and you will share the road with many of them, so give them room. The island's main town, Burg, has fuel, supermarkets and cafés, and the whole island is just over a dozen thousand people. Wind is the dominant feature, so check the forecast and pick your direction carefully, as riding into a strong headwind on a flat road can be tiring. Keep your fuel stops simple: Burg is the best option, and the island is small enough that you will never be far from it.