Holiday

Public Holidays in Munich 2026
Public Holidays in Munich 2026
Festivals in Munich 2026
Festivals in Munich 2026
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Germany takes its public holidays seriously – and as an expat, understanding them is essential to everything from planning doctor appointments to booking trains. Whether you are freshly arrived in Berlin or have been settled in Munich for a year, knowing how the holiday calendar works will save you frustration and help you feel more at home.

Germany’s Public Holidays: What to Know

Germany has a mix of national and state-level public holidays (gesetzliche Feiertage). The nine national holidays apply everywhere: New Year’s Day (1 January), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day (1 May), Ascension Day, Whit Monday, German Unity Day (3 October), Christmas Day (25 December), and Boxing Day (26 December). These are non-negotiable – shops close, public offices shut, and public transport runs on a reduced Sunday schedule.

Beyond the national set, each of Germany’s 16 states adds its own holidays. Bavaria (Bayern) celebrates Epiphany (6 January), Corpus Christi, Assumption Day (15 August), and All Saints’ Day (1 November) – making it one of the most holiday-rich states with up to 13 public holidays per year. Berlin and Hamburg, by contrast, have only the nine national ones. Check your specific Bundesland on the official federal government portal (bundesregierung.de) or use the free app Feiertagskalender Deutschland to see exactly which days apply where you live.

A helpful tip: when a public holiday falls on a Thursday, many Germans take Friday off as a Brueckentag (bridge day), creating a four-day weekend. Your employer may offer these days as optional leave, or the office may go informally quiet – worth asking HR in advance.

Local Customs and Culture Around Holidays

German public holidays carry real cultural weight. On Good Friday (Karfreitag), music events and nightclubs are legally required to close in most states – a tradition that surprises many newcomers. Christmas Eve (24 December) is not a public holiday but is treated as the main family celebration; shops close by early afternoon and the streets go quiet. If you are planning to invite German friends or colleagues to something social over the festive period, late November through 23 December is your window.

Labour Day on 1 May is particularly lively in cities like Berlin, where neighbourhoods such as Kreuzberg and Neukoelln host street festivals and political demonstrations. Oktoberfest in Munich (late September to early October) is not a public holiday but effectively shuts down much of the city’s business community for two weeks, so plan meetings accordingly if you work there.

Advent and the pre-Christmas weeks are perhaps the most distinctive cultural season in Germany. Weihnachtsmaerkte (Christmas markets) open across every city from late November, and they are genuinely beloved – not just tourist attractions. Buying a mug of Gluehwein at your local market is an easy and warm way to connect with neighbours and colleagues.

How German Workplaces Handle Holidays

German employment law is clear: you are entitled to paid time off on every public holiday that falls on a working day, at no cost to your annual leave allowance. If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, you do not receive a substitute day off – unlike in some other countries. This is worth factoring in when you count your actual paid days off each year.

Annual leave (Urlaub) is separate from public holidays. The legal minimum is 20 days per year (based on a five-day week), but most employment contracts in Germany offer 25 to 30 days. Leave requests are typically submitted through your company’s HR system – tools like Personio, Factorial, or SAP SuccessFactors are widely used by German employers. Book popular periods like the summer school holidays and the last two weeks of December well in advance, as entire teams often plan around the same windows.

If you work shifts or are self-employed, the rules differ. Shift workers are entitled to compensation for working on a public holiday – usually a day off in lieu plus a surcharge, depending on your collective agreement (Tarifvertrag). Freelancers and the self-employed have no statutory entitlement but should factor holiday downtime into client communication and project timelines.

Popular Domestic Travel During German Holidays

Germans are enthusiastic domestic travellers, and long weekends around public holidays are peak periods for trains, motorways, and popular destinations. The Deutsche Bahn app (or bahn.de) is the go-to tool for booking intercity trains – book at least two to three weeks ahead for holiday weekends to get Sparpreis (saver) fares before they sell out. The ADAC motorway traffic forecasts (available on their website and app) predict congestion on the Autobahn so you can time road trips to avoid the worst queues.

Within Germany, a few destinations consistently draw expats and locals alike. The Bavarian Alps around Garmisch-Partenkirchen are stunning in both winter (skiing) and summer (hiking). The Rhine Valley between Ruedesheim and Koblenz is ideal for a long weekend by boat or bike. The Baltic Sea coast (Ruegen, Usedom) is the summer favourite for northern Germany. If you prefer cities, Dresden and Nuremberg are particularly beautiful at Christmas, while Hamburg’s harbour and Speicherstadt district reward a visit at almost any time of year.

For budget-conscious travel, the Deutschlandticket (a monthly pass available through DB Navigator, local transport apps, and many banks including N26 and DKB) covers all regional trains and local public transport across the entire country – making spontaneous holiday weekend trips genuinely affordable.

Practical Tips for Expats Around Holidays

  • Download the Feiertagskalender Deutschland app or check your state on bundesregierung.de to know exactly which public holidays apply where you live.
  • Stock up on groceries the day before any public holiday – supermarkets including Rewe, Edeka, and Lidl close entirely, even in large cities.
  • Book Deutsche Bahn tickets early for long weekends: Sparpreis fares disappear fast and prices rise sharply in the days before a holiday.
  • Use the Deutschlandticket for regional travel – it covers buses, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and regional trains nationwide at a flat monthly rate.
  • Check whether your employer uses a Brueckentag policy for bridge days – many offices go quiet on these Fridays even if they are not officially closed.
  • Submit leave requests early for December and summer school holiday periods – these windows are competitive across all German workplaces.
  • If you are in Bavaria, count your public holidays carefully – with up to 13 per year you may have significantly more paid time off than colleagues in other states.

Making the Most of Your Time Off: Trusted Services for Expat Travellers

German public holidays are a genuine gift — use them well. When a long weekend opens up, having reliable tools already bookmarked makes the difference between a spontaneous trip and a missed opportunity. For flights out of Frankfurt, Munich, or Berlin, Kiwi.com (affiliate) is particularly good at finding multi-carrier routes that mainstream booking sites overlook. If you prefer to drive, Auto Europe (affiliate) makes comparing car hire options across Germany’s major airports and city centres quick and painless. Heading further afield within Europe? Welcome Pickups (affiliate) organises reliable airport transfers at your destination so you hit the ground running. For tours and tickets once you arrive — whether it is a Christmas market walking tour in Nuremberg or a Bavarian Alps day trip — Tiqets (affiliate) and Klook (affiliate) are both worth bookmarking. And if a flight delay or cancellation disrupts your holiday plans, AirHelp (affiliate) handles the EU 261 compensation claim on your behalf. See our full list of trusted services below.

Planning is half the joy. Whether you are escaping to the Bavarian Alps, the Rhine Valley, or further afield, the right booking tools free you up to actually enjoy the time you have earned. Jump to the recommended services & places for our curated shortlist.

Written by FinePassport team