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Public Holiday Calendar

Public Holidays in Germany

🇩🇪 Germany · Europe

Public Holidays in Germany

Statutory public holidays in Germany, with the dates that give people the day off, how the calendar is set, and what it means for travel, cities and culture.

Region Europe
Capital Berlin
Currency € EUR - Euro
Time zone UTC+1 (+2 DST) - Central European Time (CET)Population 83.5M people

Country overview

Germany at a glance

Germany has nine nationwide public holidays plus additional ones set by each state, so the calendar varies by region. Unity Day on 3 October is the only federal holiday created after 1990.

Several dates move with Easter, and because states add their own holidays, Bavaria has the most days off in the country.

2026 dates

Germany public holidays 2026

Germany has 9 public holidays in 2026 – the statutory days off. The table below lists those public holidays; observances and other non-statutory dates are not part of the total.

Holiday Date Type
New Year's Day Jan 1Thu National
Good Friday Apr 3Fri National
Easter Monday Apr 6Mon National
Labor Day May 1Fri National
Ascension Day May 14Thu National
Pentecost Monday May 25Mon National
German Unity Day Oct 3Sat National
Christmas Day Dec 25Fri National
Second Day of Christmas Dec 26Sat National

Showing 9 of 9 public holidays for 2026.

View all 2026 dates →

Where to go

Major cities in Germany

The urban centres that anchor most trips to Germany.

Berlin

A capital rebuilt on its own history, with museums, memorials and a nightlife scene.

Known forHistory & culture

Munich

A city of beer halls, baroque churches and the Alps an hour to the south.

Known forBeer & Alps

Hamburg

A city of brick warehouses, canals and one of the world's largest ports.

Known forMaritime

Cologne

A city dominated by its Gothic cathedral and a riverfront old town.

Known forCathedral

Frankfurt

A skyline city of banks, museums and half-timbered squares.

Known forBusiness

Dresden

A rebuilt baroque city on the Elbe with a restored Frauenkirche.

Known forArchitecture

Highlights

Top attractions in Germany

The places that draw most visitors to Germany.

Brandenburg Gate

A neoclassical gate at the end of Unter den Linden, symbol of the city.

RegionBerlin

Neuschwanstein Castle

A fairy-tale turreted castle on a Bavarian crag above a lake.

RegionBavaria

Cologne Cathedral

A Gothic cathedral whose twin spires dominate the Rhine front.

RegionNorth Rhine-Westphalia

Black Forest

Dark hills of cuckoo clocks, lakes and long-distance trails.

RegionBaden-Wurttemberg

Romantic Road

A route of walled towns and castles from Wurzburg to the Alps.

RegionBavaria

Rugen Cliffs

White chalk cliffs and beach resorts on the Baltic's largest island.

RegionMecklenburg

Culture & travel

Festivals, food and getting around Germany

What the calendar looks like on the ground, and how to move through the country around it.

Festivals behind the holidays

  • 🎉

    New Year's Day

    Falls on Jan 1

  • 🎉

    Epiphany

    Falls on Jan 6

  • 🎉

    Franco-German Day

    Falls on Jan 22

  • 🎉

    Remembrance Day for the Victims of National Socialism

    Falls on Jan 27

  • 🎉

    Valentine's Day

    Falls on Feb 14

  • 🎉

    Shrove Monday

    Falls on Feb 16

Food & drink

CurrywurstSchnitzelSauerbratenBratwurstPretzelKasespatzleBlack Forest cakeRieslingBeer

Getting around

1,500+
Beer breweries across the country
2,962 m
Height of the Zugspitze, the highest peak

The ICE high-speed network and dense regional trains make rail the best option; local transport is integrated by region.

Practical advice

Travelling around Germany’s holidays

What the dates mean once you are there.

📅

Book around the peaks

Transport and hotels in Germany tighten around major holidays; reserve early for the busiest weeks.

🏪

Check opening hours

Museums, banks and government offices usually close on statutory holidays, and often on the nearest Monday.

💰

Carry local currency

Small vendors and rural businesses frequently take cash only, especially on holidays when banks are shut.

🚆

Expect crowded transport

Long weekends produce the year's heaviest road, rail and air traffic. Build in extra travel time.

🇬

Confirm the official list

Germany's holiday dates are confirmed by government announcement; check the year page for the final arrangement.

📋

Plan the long weekends

Pairing a holiday with adjacent weekends gives the longest breaks of the year — and the busiest.

FAQ

Germany public holidays: common questions

How many public holidays does Germany have?

Germany has 9 public holidays in 2026, counting every date typed National, Substitute or Bank in our calendar. Observances, religious dates and regional holidays are listed separately and left out of the total, because they are not days off across the whole country.

Where can I find the full 2026 list?

The complete 2026 calendar for Germany is on the year page, with every recorded date in order.

Are Germany's public holidays paid?

Statutory national holidays are generally paid leave for employees. Observances and commemorative days are usually not.

Do holidays move if they fall on a weekend?

Where a holiday falls on a weekend, Germany typically observes it on the nearest weekday. Check the year page for the confirmed arrangement.

Are there regional holidays in Germany?

Some holidays are observed only in certain regions or by certain communities. The year page lists what applies nationally.

Which years are covered for Germany?

Calendars are published for 2026, 2025.

School calendar

School holidays in Germany

There is no single national calendar. The KMK coordinates summer holiday rotations years ahead and each Land sets the remaining holiday dates; both are published in the official KMK holiday calendar. Shown below: Bayern, Berlin and Nordrhein-Westfalen. NRW has no winter or Whitsun holiday.

2026

RegionHolidayStartsEndsSource
Nordrhein-WestfalenAutumn holiday (Herbstferien)17 Oct 202631 Oct 2026official page
BerlinAutumn holiday (Herbstferien)19 Oct 202631 Oct 2026official page
BayernAutumn holiday (Herbstferien)2 Nov 20266 Nov 2026official page
BerlinChristmas holiday (Weihnachtsferien)23 Dec 20262 Jan 2027official page
Nordrhein-WestfalenChristmas holiday (Weihnachtsferien)23 Dec 20266 Jan 2027official page
BayernChristmas holiday (Weihnachtsferien)24 Dec 20268 Jan 2027official page

2027

RegionHolidayStartsEndsSource
BerlinWinter holiday (Winterferien)1 Feb 20276 Feb 2027official page
BayernWinter holiday (Winterferien)8 Feb 202712 Feb 2027official page
BayernEaster holiday (Osterferien)22 Mar 20272 Apr 2027official page
BerlinEaster holiday (Osterferien)22 Mar 20272 Apr 2027official page
Nordrhein-WestfalenEaster holiday (Osterferien)NRW has no winter or Whitsun holiday.22 Mar 20273 Apr 2027official page
BayernWhitsun holiday (Pfingstferien)18 May 202728 May 2027official page
BerlinWhitsun holiday (Pfingstferien)Plus Ascension Day on 7 May 2027.18 May 202719 May 2027official page
BerlinSummer holiday (Sommerferien)1 Jul 202714 Aug 2027official page
Nordrhein-WestfalenSummer holiday (Sommerferien)19 Jul 202731 Aug 2027official page
BayernSummer holiday (Sommerferien)2 Aug 202713 Sep 2027official page

Official sources: Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) - official school holiday calendar (checked 10 Sep 2026)

School calendar

School term dates in Germany

Term dates below are the periods when classes are in session.

2026

RegionTermStartsEndsSource
BerlinSchool year 2026-2027 in sessionUnconfirmedDerived from the summer holiday dates.24 Aug 202630 Jun 2027official page
Nordrhein-WestfalenSchool year 2026-2027 in sessionUnconfirmedDerived from the summer holiday dates.30 Aug 202618 Jul 2027official page
BayernSchool year 2026-2027 in sessionUnconfirmedDerived from the summer holiday dates.15 Sep 20261 Aug 2027official page

Official sources: Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) - official school holiday calendar (checked 10 Sep 2026)

School calendar data last updated 10 Sep 2026. Dates come from education ministries and local education authorities; always re-check with the school before booking travel.

Tags

Holiday observance can vary by region and employer. Confirm critical dates with the relevant authority.