Berlin facts
Public holidays, and what closes
On a German public holiday the shops shut completely — not reduced hours, shut. Transport runs a Sunday timetable. Museums often do open, frequently on Sunday hours. These dates are computed from the Easter date each year rather than copied from a list.
Next one
Erster Weihnachtstag — Friday 25 December 2026
Shops closed. Plan food in advance and expect a Sunday transport timetable.
2026
- 2026-12-25 Friday Erster Weihnachtstag shops closed
- 2026-12-26 Saturday Zweiter Weihnachtstag shops closed
2027
- 2027-01-01 Friday Neujahr shops closed
- 2027-03-08 Monday Internationaler Frauentag shops closed
- 2027-03-26 Friday Karfreitag shops closed
- 2027-03-29 Monday Ostermontag shops closed
- 2027-05-01 Saturday Tag der Arbeit shops closed
- 2027-05-06 Thursday Christi Himmelfahrt shops closed
- 2027-05-17 Monday Pfingstmontag shops closed
- 2027-10-03 Sunday Tag der Deutschen Einheit shops closed
- 2027-12-25 Saturday Erster Weihnachtstag shops closed
- 2027-12-26 Sunday Zweiter Weihnachtstag shops closed
2028
- 2028-01-01 Saturday Neujahr shops closed
- 2028-03-08 Wednesday Internationaler Frauentag shops closed
- 2028-04-14 Friday Karfreitag shops closed
- 2028-04-17 Monday Ostermontag shops closed
- 2028-05-01 Monday Tag der Arbeit shops closed
- 2028-05-25 Thursday Christi Himmelfahrt shops closed
- 2028-06-05 Monday Pfingstmontag shops closed
- 2028-10-03 Tuesday Tag der Deutschen Einheit shops closed
- 2028-12-25 Monday Erster Weihnachtstag shops closed
- 2028-12-26 Tuesday Zweiter Weihnachtstag shops closed
The ones that are not public holidays but behave like them
24 December
Heiligabend. Not a public holiday, so it is on no list — yet shops close around 14:00 and the overwhelming majority of restaurants never open. The commonest way a December trip to Berlin goes wrong.
31 December
Also not a public holiday. Shops close early, and central Berlin around the Brandenburg Gate becomes a ticketed event with road closures.
Every Sunday
Functionally a holiday for shopping purposes, all year. See what stays open.
1 May
A real public holiday, and in Berlin also a day of large demonstrations and street festivals in Kreuzberg and Neukölln. Expect closed roads and diverted transport.