So könnt ihr Brückentage 2026 clever nutzen

A short break is the perfect way to relax from everyday working life, usually costs less than a whole week's holiday and can still offer just as much variety. So it's no wonder that many people like to use long weekends for short trips – and Hamburg is the perfect destination!

If you plan your holidays cleverly in 2026, you can achieve particularly long periods of relaxation by making clever use of public holidays:

New Year – Let the planning begin

• When is New Year's Day 2026? Thursday, 1 January 2026
  Where is New Year's Day a public holiday? All federal states

Here is the first opportunity to start the first week of January in a relaxed manner with a few extra days off by submitting one day of holiday (2 January).

Epiphany – 13 days of winter holidays

• When is Epiphany in 2026? Tuesday, 6 January 2026
  Where is Epiphany a public holiday? Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony-Anhaltt

With two days of holiday, you can have six days off from 1 January to 6 January. But you can also take a long Christmas holiday from 24 December 2025 to 6 January 2026. That's 13 days of holiday for which you only need to use five days of holiday entitlement.

International Women's Day – Unfortunately falling on a weekend this year

• When is International Women's Day 2026? Sunday, 8 March 2026
  Where is International Women's Day a public holiday? Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Easter – Take 16 days off with eight days of holiday

• When are the Easter holidays in 2026? Friday, 3 April to Monday, 6 April 2026
  Where is Easter a public holiday? All federal states

Easter brings two public holidays every year. With four days of holiday, you will have ten days off from 28 March to 6 April in 2026. With eight days of holiday, you will even have 16 days off from 28 March to 12 April 2026.

Labour Day – at minimum a long weekend

• When is Labour Day in 2026? Friday, 1 May 2026
  Where is Labour Day a public holiday? All federal states

In 2026, 1 May falls on a Friday – perfect for a long weekend. With an extra day, you can enjoy four days off from 1 to 4 May. 

Ascension Day – Four-day mini-break in early summer

• When is Ascension Day in 2026? Thursday, 14 May 2026
  Where is Ascension Day a public holiday? All federal states

Ascension Day is one of the most popular long weekends because the church holiday always falls on a Thursday. With just one day of holiday, you can enjoy a four-day long weekend from 14 to 17 May. With three additional days of holiday, you can take nine days off in a row, from 9 to 17 May. With five additional days, you can even take 17 days off thanks to Pentecost.

Pentecost – Take up to 12 days off in a row

• When is Pentecost 2026? Sunday, 24 May and Monday, 25 May 2026
  Where is Pentecost a public holiday? All federal states

Pentecost takes place every year exactly 49 days after Easter Sunday. In 2026, it will also be worth investing four days of holiday at Pentecost. With four days of holiday, you can enjoy a whole nine days off from 23 to 31 May. In combination with Ascension Day (14 May 2026), you can even get 18 days off from 14 to 31 May. This only requires ten days of holiday.

Corpus Christi – Four-day long weekend

• When is Corpus Christi in 2026? Thursday, 4 June 2026
  Where is Corpus Christi a public holiday? North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, parts of Saxony and Thuringia

Corpus Christi is a public holiday in some federal states. With just one day of holiday, you can enjoy four days off from 4 to 7 June. In these federal states, you can also extend your Whitsun holiday: with eight days of holiday, you can enjoy a full 16 days off from 23 May to 7 June.

Assumption Day – Unfortunately on the weekend this year

• When is Assumption Day in 2026? Saturday, 15 August 2026
  Where is Assumption Day a public holiday? Bavaria (not in all municipalities), Saarland

World Children's Day – So far only in Thuringia

• When is World Children's Day 2026? Sunday, 20 September 2026
  Where is World Children's Day a public holiday? Thuringia

A public holiday that only applies in Thuringia and unfortunately falls on a Sunday in 2026.

German Unity Day – public holiday on a Saturday

• When is German Unity Day in 2026? Saturday, 3 October 2026
  Where is German Unity Day a public holiday? All federal states

Reformation Day – public holiday on a Saturday

• When is Reformation Day in 2026? Saturday, 31 October 2026
  Where is Reformation Day a public holiday? Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia

All Saints' Day – Unfortunately on a Sunday

• When is All Saints' Day in 2026? Sunday, 1 November 2026
  Where is All Saints' Day a public holiday? Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland

Day of Repentance and Prayer – Enjoy five to nine consecutive days off

• When is Day of Repentance and Prayer in 2026? Wednesday, 18 November 2026
  Where is Day of Repentance and Prayer a public holiday? Saxony

With four days of holiday, nine days off are possible from 14 to 22 November. Alternatively, with two days of holiday, you could enjoy a long weekend before or after the Day of Repentance and Prayer.

Christmas – Four days of holiday for twelve days off

• When is Christmas 2026? Friday, 25th and Saturday, 26th December 2026
  Where is Christmas a public holiday? All federal states

The Hanseatic city is particularly worth visiting during Advent, as Hamburg really spruces itself up and sheds some of its Hanseatic reserve. This year, the holidays are also well timed. With eight days of holiday, you can take a whole 16 days off from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.

New Year's Eve – Celebrate without feeling guilty

• When is New Year's Day 2027? Thursday, 1 January 2027
  Where is New Year's Day a public holiday? All federal states

New Year's Day gives you another day off during your Christmas holiday – or a long weekend for a New Year's Eve celebration that doesn't end with a hangover at the office on 2 January.