Bridge Days Germany 2026 and 2027 (Brückentage)
With up to 5 vacation days in North Rhine-Westphalia you can be off for 10 days in a row in 2026. Pick your state and vacation budget to see all the options.
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How it works
Choose your state and the number of vacation days you would take in one go. The planner lists every break that needs that many days or fewer and contains a public holiday on a working day. For each break you see the dates, the vacation days it costs, and how many days in a row you are off.
The headline shows the longest break within your budget. The table lists all the options in date order, so you can see the efficient ones first: a Thursday holiday plus one Friday gives four days off for one vacation day.
Method and worked example
- Mark every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday of your state as a day off.
- Join neighbouring blocks of days off by taking the working days between them as vacation.
- Keep joins that include a public holiday on a working day and cost no more than your vacation budget.
- Drop a join if a longer one gives at least as many days off per vacation day.
For North Rhine-Westphalia in 2026 with up to 1 vacation day:
- Break options: 3
- Days off in the longest break: 4
With up to 5 vacation days:
- Break options: 12
- Days off in the longest break: 10
Frequently asked questions
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day (German "Brückentag") is a working day between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it off gives you a longer break for one vacation day, for example Friday after Ascension Thursday.
How does the planner find the breaks?
It joins blocks of days off (weekends and public holidays) by using the working days between them as vacation. It keeps breaks that include a public holiday on a working day and need no more vacation days than you chose.
Why are some breaks missing?
A shorter break is left out when a longer break gives at least as many days off for each vacation day. The longer one is the better deal.
Why do states differ?
Holidays are set by each state. Epiphany, Corpus Christi, All Saints' Day, Reformation Day and, in Saxony, the Day of Repentance and Prayer apply in some states only.
Which years are covered?
2026 and 2027, with the holidays of the chosen state on their official dates. Breaks stay inside the calendar year, so a break over New Year is not combined.
Are company days off counted?
No. Many employers close on 24 and 31 December. Those days are not public holidays here, so add them to your plan yourself.
Sources and methodology
- Baden-Württemberg: Feiertagsgesetz (FTG) § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Bayern: Feiertagsgesetz (FTG) Art. 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Berlin: Gesetz über die Sonn- und Feiertage (FeiertG BE) § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Brandenburg: Feiertagsgesetz (FTG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Bremen: Gesetz über die Sonn-, Gedenk- und Feiertage § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Hamburg: Feiertagsgesetz § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Hessen: Hessisches Feiertagsgesetz (HFeiertagsG) § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage (FTG M-V) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Niedersachsen: Niedersächsisches Gesetz über die Feiertage (NFeiertagsG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Nordrhein-Westfalen: Feiertagsgesetz NW § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Rheinland-Pfalz: Landesgesetz über den Schutz der Sonn- und Feiertage (LFtG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Saarland: Gesetz Nr. 1040 über die Sonn- und Feiertage (SFG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Sachsen: Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage (SächsSFG) § 1 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Sachsen-Anhalt: Gesetz über die Sonn- und Feiertage (FeiertG LSA) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Schleswig-Holstein: Gesetz über Sonn- und Feiertage (SFTG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Thüringen: Feier- und Gedenktagsgesetz (ThürFGtG) § 2 (accessed 2026-10-20)
Last updated 2026-10-20. Calculator version 1.0.0.Read how we calculate for our verification process.
Results are estimates for information only and are not financial, tax or legal advice.