With fewer 'bridge days' and more holidays on weekends, employees in Germany will see more working days in 2026 than they had this year. Here's how to maximise your days off by planning around the public holiday calendar.

Have you started thinking about holiday plans for the coming year yet?

When it comes to vacations and travel, planning well ahead pays off in Germany as the price for travel and accommodation tends to be significantly less if you manage to book more than a couple months in advance.

Also, looking ahead at the calendar allows you to plan time away around public holidays (Feiertage), which can allow you to extend your time away from work without using up more of your precious vacation days.

Here are the holiday dates you can plan around in 2026.

Germany's public holidays

There are nine public holidays which apply in every German state.

New Year's Day (Thursday, January 1st)

Good Friday (Friday, April 3rd)

Easter Monday (Monday, April 6th)

Labour Day (Friday, May 1st)

Ascension Day (Thursday, May 14th)

Whit Monday (Monday, May 25th)

German Unity Day (Saturday, October 3rd)

Christmas Day (Friday, December 25th)

Boxing Day or Second Christmas