Brückentage 2027 in Germany: how to turn 8 vacation days into 16 days off
May 1, 2027 falls on a Saturday, and Christmas will again coincide with the weekend. But nine windows for a long vacation still remain in the Germany calendar.
Eight days of vacation around Easter give sixteen consecutive days off. Four days after Pentecost turn into nine. Below are all the Brückentage for 2027: exact dates, regions, and a day-by-day breakdown.
The word Brückentage refers to working days between a public holiday and the weekend. Take such a day as vacation, and a short holiday becomes a full-fledged break.
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How Brückentage work in 2027
💡 In short:
- eight days of vacation around Easter give sixteen days off;
- four days after Pentecost turn into nine days of rest;
- six windows apply only in certain federal states;
- dates and regions: 09/2026, verified against the Bavarian public holiday law.
A holiday on a Wednesday plus two days of vacation give five days off. The closer the date is to Saturday, the more advantageous the window. All 2027 opportunities are collected in one table.
Window | Holiday | Where it is a day off | Vacation days | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 6-10 | Epiphany, Jan 6 | Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony-Anhalt | 2 | 5 |
Mar 6-14 | International Women's Day, Mar 8 | Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 4 | 9 |
Mar 20 - Apr 4 | Easter, Mar 26 and 29 | all of Germany | 8 | 16 |
May 6-9 | Ascension Day, May 6 | all of Germany | 1 | 4 |
May 15-23 | Pentecost, May 17 | all of Germany | 4 | 9 |
May 27-30 | Corpus Christi, May 27 | Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland | 1 | 4 |
Sep 18-26 | World Children's Day, Sep 20 | Thuringia | 4 | 9 |
Oct 30 - Nov 7 | All Saints' Day, Nov 1 | Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland | 4 | 9 |
Nov 17-21 | Day of Repentance and Prayer, Nov 17 | Saxony | 2 | 5 |
Dates are verified against state public holiday laws: Bavaria, Berlin, Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, and Thuringia (as of 09/2026). The set of days off depends on the federal state, so check your region before planning.
Easter: 16 days off for 8 vacation days
The best window of the year opens on March 20. Take vacation from March 22 to 25, then from March 30 to April 2. Eight vacation days turn into sixteen days off, from March 20 to April 4. The window includes two holidays: Good Friday on March 26 and Easter Monday on March 29, with Easter Sunday falling on March 28 (as of 09/2026, Berlin reference).
If you don't have enough for the full window, take the second half: four vacation days, from March 30 to April 2, give ten consecutive days off, from March 26 to April 4. For spring this is the best compromise, because two public holidays and the weekend sit right next to each other.
Ascension Day and Pentecost: two May windows
Ascension Day on May 6 falls on a Thursday. One day of leave on Friday, May 7 gives four consecutive days off, from May 6 to 9 (as of 09/2026, Berlin.de).
With Pentecost, the result is almost twice as long. The public holiday Monday, May 17 plus leave from May 18 to 21 adds up to nine days off, from May 15 to 23 (as of 09/2026, Berlin holiday calendar).
Demand for the May windows is high, so book tickets and accommodation early. Check train and bus tickets on Trip.com conveniently for two dates at once: May 6 and 17.
Regional holidays: January, March, May
In Germany, holidays are set by the states, so additional windows depend on your region (as of 09/2026, Bavarian law). Below are three spring windows that do not apply nationwide.
Epiphany on January 6
Epiphany (Heilige Drei Könige) falls on a Wednesday. Leave on Thursday and Friday, January 7 and 8, gives five days off, from January 6 to 10. The holiday applies in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony-Anhalt (as of 09/2026, Baden-Württemberg state law).
International women's day on March 8
March 8, 2027 falls on a Monday. In Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, it is a public holiday. Four days of leave, from March 9 to 12, give nine days off, from March 6 to 14 (as of 09/2026, Berlin portal).
Corpus Christi on May 27
Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) falls on a Thursday. One day of leave on Friday, May 28 gives four days off. The holiday is observed in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland, as well as in Catholic areas of Saxony and Thuringia (as of 09/2026, Saxony law).
Autumn and November: windows for Thuringia, Saxony, and the south
In autumn, the calendar becomes emptier, but three windows still remain. Each requires leave and gives from five to nine days off.
© Vincent Eisfeld · CC BY-SAPhoto: Vincent Eisfeld, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsWorld children's day on September 20
Only Thuringia observes World children's day on September 20. In 2027 it falls on a Monday. Taking leave from Tuesday through Friday, September 21 to 24, gives you nine days off, from September 18 to 26 (as of 09/2026, Thuringia law).
All saints' day on November 1
All saints' day on November 1 also falls on a Monday. Four days of leave give you nine days off, from October 30 to November 7. The holiday applies in Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland (as of 09/2026, Baden-Wurttemberg law).
Day of repentance and prayer on November 17
Saxony has one more short window. The Day of Repentance and Prayer falls on Wednesday, November 17, so two days of leave are enough for five days off, from November 17 to 21 (as of 09/2026, Saxon holidays law).
Which 2027 holidays fall on weekends
Some dates in 2027 will not add a single day off. May 1 falls on a Saturday, October 3 and October 31 on a Sunday, December 25 and 26 on a Saturday and Sunday (as of 09/2026, Saxony state law).
Do not take leave on these dates. The holiday is already a day off, and it cannot be moved to Monday. However, around Christmas you can still build a long block of days off by adding leave days before the holiday.
How to plan long weekends and save money
The Easter window leads the pack, with the May and fall windows slightly behind.
Plan your trip in advance. Demand rises during the May and Easter weeks, and tickets get more expensive. Compare flights on Kiwi.com before you book your leave.
Check which holidays apply in your state. Residents of Bavaria and Saxony have additional windows available, and Berliners should keep March 8 in mind.
⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
What are Brückentage?
Brückentage refers to working days between a public holiday and a weekend. Take such a day as vacation, and the holiday connects with the weekend into a long block of time off. In 2027, nine windows give you between four and sixteen free days.
Which 2027 window is the most profitable?
Easter. Eight vacation days give you sixteen free days, from March 20 to April 4 (as of 09/2026, Berlin's official calendar). By the number of free days, this is the record of the year.
How many vacation days do you need for the May windows?
Ascension Day requires one vacation day, Friday, May 7. For Pentecost you need four days, from May 18 to 21 (as of 09/2026, Berlin's online reference). Coordinate your vacation with colleagues in advance: the May weeks are popular.
In which states is March 8 a day off?
International Women's Day is a non-working day only in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (as of 09/2026, the capital's official portal). In the other states it is a regular working day.
Why don't May 1 and October 3, 2027 give you a long weekend?
In 2027, May 1 falls on a Saturday, and October 3 and October 31 fall on a Sunday. A public holiday that coincides with a weekend is not moved to Monday, so no additional free day appears. These dates won't help you stretch your vacation (as of 09/2026, Saxony legislation).
In short: what to book
If you have eight vacation days: take the window around Easter. If you have four days: Pentecost or All Saints' Day. If you have one day: Ascension Day on May 6 or Corpus Christi on May 27.
Accommodation for these dates gets booked up quickly. Find a hotel on Trip.com in advance so you aren't looking for an option in the last week. All dates are taken from state laws and Berlin's reference.
A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.