Bridge days in Germany 2026
27 vacation days → 63 days off.
🇩🇪 Every public holiday in Germany 2026, every bridge day worth taking, and exactly what each one buys you — computed, not guessed.
Germany has a cruel rule: a public holiday that falls on a weekend is simply gone — no substitute day, no compensation. That makes bridge planning (Brückentage) a national sport. In 2026, 27 vacation days on the right bridges return 63 days off, best play ×4.
The spring block — Good Friday through Whit Monday — is where the value is. And remember this guide counts only the nine nationwide holidays: depending on your Bundesland you may have up to four more, which only improves the math.
Assumption: December 24 and 31 are treated as days off — most German employers close or give half days. Nationwide holidays only; your Bundesland may add more (Epiphany, Corpus Christi, Reformation Day, All Saints’).
If you take every bridge below
9 bridge plays, best exchange rate first
| Book these days | Days | You are off | Total | Rate | Anchor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 2 Jan | 1 | Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan | 4 | ×4.0 | New Year's Day |
| Fri 15 May | 1 | Thu 14 May – Sun 17 May | 4 | ×4.0 | Ascension Day |
| Mon 28 Dec – Wed 30 Dec | 3 | Thu 24 Dec – Sun 3 Jan | 11 | ×3.7 | Christmas Day |
| Mon 21 Dec – Wed 23 Dec | 3 | Sat 19 Dec – Sun 27 Dec | 9 | ×3.0 | Christmas Day |
| Mon 30 Mar – Thu 2 Apr | 4 | Sat 28 Mar – Mon 6 Apr | 10 | ×2.5 | Good Friday |
| Tue 7 Apr – Fri 10 Apr | 4 | Fri 3 Apr – Sun 12 Apr | 10 | ×2.5 | Good Friday |
| Mon 27 Apr – Thu 30 Apr | 4 | Sat 25 Apr – Sun 3 May | 9 | ×2.3 | Labour Day |
| Tue 26 May – Fri 29 May | 4 | Sat 23 May – Sun 31 May | 9 | ×2.3 | Whit Monday |
| Mon 11 May – Wed 13 May | 3 | Sat 9 May – Thu 14 May | 6 | ×2.0 | Ascension Day |
Germany-specific fine print
No substitute days
When German Unity Day lands on a Saturday, Germany simply loses it. Check the calendar table below before assuming a fixed-date holiday helps you this year.
Your Bundesland may add holidays
Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and others add regional holidays (Epiphany, Corpus Christi, All Saints’, Assumption). Those open extra bridges not shown here — the app covers the nationwide set.
Every public holiday in Germany 2026
| Date | Holiday | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 Jan | New Year's Day | day off |
| Fri 3 Apr | Good Friday | day off |
| Mon 6 Apr | Easter Monday | day off |
| Fri 1 May | Labour Day | day off |
| Thu 14 May | Ascension Day | day off |
| Mon 25 May | Whit Monday | day off |
| Sat 3 Oct | German Unity Day | on a weekend |
| Thu 24 Dec | Christmas Eve | eve (de facto) |
| Fri 25 Dec | Christmas Day | day off |
| Sat 26 Dec | Boxing Day | on a weekend |
| Thu 31 Dec | New Year's Eve | eve (de facto) |
The app does this for any year
These numbers come straight from Vacationmaxxing's optimizer — the app computes public holidays for any year (no hardcoded tables), finds every bridge, and lets you tap them into a plan. Germany and six more countries. No ads, no accounts, no data collection.