We are planning a trip to Germany in late April/early May. I checked out the holidays and festivals list, and it looks like we might run into some closures on May Day when we'll be in Rothenberg (May 1) and Ascension Day when we'll be in Berlin (May 5). Any idea about what's typically closed on these days--restaurants, shops, museums, guided walking tours, etc?
Thanks!
Posted by
Calgary
2297 posts
Sundays and on statutory holidays it's shops that are closed. That means in particular grocery stores, department stores and shopping malls.
Exempt from that rule are stores in major train stations and airports. Also, bakeries are often open for a few hours. In a extremely touristy place like Rothenburg, stores for souvenirs are generally open.
Restaurants & museums are not affected by this, to the contrary, these are often their busiest days. Guided tours have their own schedules and I would simply check for the respective dates.
Posted by
OP
Minnesota, USA
2 posts
Thanks for the reply! I will definitely check out the individual sights/tours for hours. We are not big shoppers so it doesn't sound like the closures will affect us too much.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19100 posts
I was in Berchtesgaden for Ascension Day in 2012. Buses ran on a holiday schedule. A few businesses were closed, but not many.
I was also in Dresden that year for Pfingsten (late May). It was a major 3-day weekend. I didn't notice many places being closed, but the town was flooded with tourist, making it difficult to go anywhere. On Monday, the trains were packed.