The year is almost over and 2026 is approaching. That means it’s high time to pull out the calendar and save the bridging days! Although German Unity Day, Ascension Day, All Saints’ Day and even Boxing Day fall awkwardly on a weekend, the nationwide public holidays during the week offer perfect opportunities to more than double your free time. In Munich in particular, the local public holidays are really worthwhile for planning a short vacation to one of the most beautiful destinations in the surrounding area.
January
Start the new year with six vacation days: New Year’s Day (January 1) falls on a Thursday. And in Bavaria, the following Tuesday, January 6, is also a public holiday (Epiphany). With just two vacation days (Friday, January 2, and Monday, January 5), you have six days off in a row. So January can start in Munich after all.
April
After the first week of January, there’s a bit of a holiday dry spell. We have to wait until Easter to accumulate bridge days again. Every year, Easter offers the longest continuous period of free time in the calendar. Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6) are public holidays in Germany, which means you can take a week off with four vacation days – before or after Easter. Or don’t do things by halves and take two weeks off with eight vacation days (Sat, March 28 to Sun, April 12).
May
Thanks to three public holidays (May 1st, Ascension Day and Whitsun), May is the best month for bridging days. And the weather also plays along (in the best case) for an early summer vacation! Labor Day falls on a Friday, which gives us a long weekend (Fri, May 1 to Sun, May 3).
Ascension Day (May 14) falls on a Thursday, and Whit Monday (May 25) is a Monday. A clever combination gives you a luxurious spring break of 17 days. Take 9 days off (Mon, May 11 to Wed, May 13 and Fri, May 15 to Fri, May 22) and enjoy a vacation almost twice as long.
June
In Bavaria , Corpus Christi (June 4) falls on a Thursday and is a public holiday. Take Friday, June 5, off and go away for four days (Thu, June 4 to Sun, June 7).
December
December offers us a grand finale over the turn of the year: the Christmas holidays and New Year allow for a relaxed end and start to the year. With four vacation days (Mon, Dec 28 to Thu, Dec 31), you have ten days off in a row (Fri, Dec 25 to Sun, Jan 3, 2027).