My friends and I will travel to Leipzig, Berlin, and Prague this coming late May to early June. We will be in Leipzig on Whit Monday. I have found a couple things to do that day that will be open and were already on our to-see list (hallelujah!), and I am trying to find other activities to help fill this unusual day a bit. It doesn’t help that many things are closed on Mondays anyway. So…
Churches—open that day, or no? A good day to visit Nikolaikirche, or don’t chance it?
Beauty treatments—a good day for a bit of time out for pedicures or massages, or will these also be closed?
I also thought about movie theaters, but I am not sure yet of my friends’ interest in this.
I know I could email places to see whether they would be open, but before I jump down that rabbit-hole, what’s been everyone’s experience with filling your days on national holidays?
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8811 posts
I think the day will be like many Sundays in Germany, based on my experience with German Monday holidays.
Churches, if a tourist destination will be open. Restaurants, beer gardens, and other eating places will be open, but not supermarkets and shops. Same I assume with beauty treatments, closed; but I am not sure about movie theaters.
Most people, aside from eating and a beer garden, spend the day outdoors (in nice weather) hiking, in a park, or other family activities.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9530 posts
Yes, movie theaters will be open, but why would you go to the movies on vacation? Go to a museum, go on a tour, etc. Churches may have special services, especially the catholic ones. Restaurants are open, but no stores or beauty salons.
Posted by
50 posts
As stated before, holiday and Sunday are usually equivalent in Germany - you might thus be lucky, actually, since the „Monday closed“ rule might be trumped by „Sunday and public holiday“. So most leisure things should be open, including sights, theatres, spas, museums, restaurants etc. A small massage spot will be closed, though.
Movies are usually screened in a dubbed version, so beware...
Posted by
OP
WV
80 posts
I generally do not go to movies on vacation, and rarely go for massages, etc.(although I have had a mid-vacation pedicure and foot massage, which was lovely!). I’ve planned two smaller museums that day, so I may be overthinking the rest of the day.