Bridge days in Germany 2026 and 2027
Workdays that, taken as leave, join a German public holiday to a weekend or to another holiday. Each option uses 1 to 4 leave days and is ranked by days off per leave day.
What this counts
Nationwide public holidays of Germany only, and a Monday to Friday working week. Holidays that only some German Länder observe, such as Heilige Drei Könige, Fronleichnam or Reformationstag, are not included. The holiday list is on the Germany public holidays page.
Germany bridge days 2026
10 options in 2026, best value first.
Best value
- Take 1 day (Fri 2 Jan 2026) for at least 4 days off in a row, around Neujahr.
- Take 1 day (Fri 15 May 2026) for 4 days off in a row, around Christi Himmelfahrt.
- Take 4 days (Mon 30 Mar to Thu 2 Apr 2026) for 10 days off in a row, around Karfreitag and Ostermontag.
Every bridge in 2026
| Leave to take | Days off in a row | Public holidays | Days off per leave day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day Fri 2 Jan 2026 | At least 4 Thu 1 Jan to Sun 4 Jan 2026 | Neujahr (Thu 1 Jan) | 4 |
| 1 day Fri 15 May 2026 | 4 Thu 14 May to Sun 17 May 2026 | Christi Himmelfahrt (Thu 14 May) | 4 |
| 4 days Mon 30 Mar to Thu 2 Apr 2026 | 10 Sat 28 Mar to Mon 6 Apr 2026 | Karfreitag (Fri 3 Apr), Ostermontag (Mon 6 Apr) | 2.5 |
| 4 days Tue 7 Apr to Fri 10 Apr 2026 | 10 Fri 3 Apr to Sun 12 Apr 2026 | Karfreitag (Fri 3 Apr), Ostermontag (Mon 6 Apr) | 2.5 |
| 4 days Mon 28 Dec to Thu 31 Dec 2026 | 10 Fri 25 Dec 2026 to Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Erster Weihnachtstag (Fri 25 Dec), Zweiter Weihnachtstag (Sat 26 Dec), Neujahr (Fri 1 Jan) | 2.5 |
| 4 days Mon 27 Apr to Thu 30 Apr 2026 | 9 Sat 25 Apr to Sun 3 May 2026 | Tag der Arbeit (Fri 1 May) | 2.25 |
| 4 days Mon 11 May to Wed 13 May and Fri 15 May 2026 | 9 Sat 9 May to Sun 17 May 2026 | Christi Himmelfahrt (Thu 14 May) | 2.25 |
| 4 days Tue 26 May to Fri 29 May 2026 | 9 Sat 23 May to Sun 31 May 2026 | Pfingstmontag (Mon 25 May) | 2.25 |
| 4 days Mon 21 Dec to Thu 24 Dec 2026 | 9 Sat 19 Dec to Sun 27 Dec 2026 | Erster Weihnachtstag (Fri 25 Dec), Zweiter Weihnachtstag (Sat 26 Dec) | 2.25 |
| 3 days Mon 11 May to Wed 13 May 2026 | 6 Sat 9 May to Thu 14 May 2026 | Christi Himmelfahrt (Thu 14 May) | 2 |
"At least": the break reaches a date outside the years we hold holidays for, so it may be longer.
Germany bridge days 2027
6 options in 2027, best value first.
Best value
- Take 1 day (Fri 7 May 2027) for 4 days off in a row, around Christi Himmelfahrt.
- Take 4 days (Mon 22 Mar to Thu 25 Mar 2027) for 10 days off in a row, around Karfreitag and Ostermontag.
- Take 4 days (Tue 30 Mar to Fri 2 Apr 2027) for 10 days off in a row, around Karfreitag and Ostermontag.
Every bridge in 2027
| Leave to take | Days off in a row | Public holidays | Days off per leave day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day Fri 7 May 2027 | 4 Thu 6 May to Sun 9 May 2027 | Christi Himmelfahrt (Thu 6 May) | 4 |
| 4 days Mon 22 Mar to Thu 25 Mar 2027 | 10 Sat 20 Mar to Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Karfreitag (Fri 26 Mar), Ostermontag (Mon 29 Mar) | 2.5 |
| 4 days Tue 30 Mar to Fri 2 Apr 2027 | 10 Fri 26 Mar to Sun 4 Apr 2027 | Karfreitag (Fri 26 Mar), Ostermontag (Mon 29 Mar) | 2.5 |
| 4 days Mon 3 May to Wed 5 May and Fri 7 May 2027 | 9 Sat 1 May to Sun 9 May 2027 | Tag der Arbeit (Sat 1 May), Christi Himmelfahrt (Thu 6 May) | 2.25 |
| 4 days Tue 18 May to Fri 21 May 2027 | 9 Sat 15 May to Sun 23 May 2027 | Pfingstmontag (Mon 17 May) | 2.25 |
| 3 days Mon 3 May to Wed 5 May 2027 | 6 Sat 1 May to Thu 6 May 2027 | Tag der Arbeit (Sat 1 May), Christi Himmelfahrt (Thu 6 May) | 2 |
How the days are found
- A leave day is a Monday to Friday that is not a public holiday.
- A bridge is 1 to 4 leave days that fill the whole gap between two runs of days off, at least one of which includes a public holiday on a weekday. Taking the Friday before a Monday holiday only lengthens a long weekend, so it is not listed.
- Days off in a row counts every calendar day from the first day off to the last, weekends included. A bridge across New Year uses the next year's holidays.
- Best value first: most days off per leave day, then the longer break, then the earlier date.
- "At least" marks a break that reaches a date outside the years we hold holidays for. It may be longer.
Your contract, collective agreement or company calendar may give you more days off, or fewer. Check those before you book.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best bridge day in Germany in 2026?
Take 1 day (Fri 2 Jan 2026) for at least 4 days off in a row, around Neujahr. That is the best ratio of days off to leave days in 2026 on this page.
What is the best bridge day in Germany in 2027?
Take 1 day (Fri 7 May 2027) for 4 days off in a row, around Christi Himmelfahrt. That is the best ratio of days off to leave days in 2027 on this page.
Which holidays and working days does this use?
The nationwide public holidays of Germany for 2026 and 2027, the same list as our Germany public holidays page, and a Monday to Friday working week. Holidays that only some German Länder observe, such as Heilige Drei Könige, Fronleichnam or Reformationstag, are not included.
Can SquadBear count German public holidays in leave requests?
Yes. When an admin adds a Germany holiday calendar, SquadBear prefills these nationwide holidays, and leave counted in working days (the default) skips them. Admins can add regional or company days to the calendar.
Other countries
- Poland
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Netherlands
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Czechia
- Slovakia
- Spain
- France
- Belgium
- Sweden
- Norway
- Denmark
- Finland
- Portugal
- Italy
- Hungary
- Romania
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Estonia
- Ukraine
- Singapore
- Indonesia
All bridge day pages · More free tools
Count leave around German holidays
Add a Germany holiday calendar in SquadBear and these nationwide holidays are prefilled. Leave counted in working days skips them. Free for up to 5 people.
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