What are bridge days?
Bridge days ("Brückentage") are single working days between a public holiday and the weekend. Take one off and you "bridge" the gap — one vacation day becomes several consecutive days off. Which bridge days exist depends on the calendar year and your federal state (holidays are a state matter).
The stacking trick: bridge day + educational leave
The real leverage comes from combining three building blocks:
- Public holiday(s) + bridge day: a long weekend for just 1 vacation day
- Educational-leave week: 5 working days from your statutory entitlement — costs no vacation days
- Weekends before and after: cost no days anyway
Put your recognised course week right next to an extended weekend and you are away for a long stretch while spending only a few real vacation days. Do the honest maths with the leave-days calculator.
How to plan
- Look up your state’s public holidays for the year (official state list)
- Identify bridge days: working days between a holiday and the weekend
- Check your educational-leave entitlement and place a recognised course week alongside
- File both requests early: educational leave (statutory) and vacation (normal planning)
Frequently asked questions
Are bridge days paid special leave?
No. Bridge days are ordinary vacation days used cleverly to get more consecutive time off. Paid time off only comes from your educational-leave entitlement for the recognised course week.
Can my employer refuse the combination?
They are two separate requests: vacation (normal planning, may clash for operational reasons) and educational leave (a statutory right, only refusable on limited grounds depending on your state law). Plan early and raise both together.
Which bridge days exist depends on the year and your federal state — both are in the yearly planner, with the date and the public holiday behind it. Your state’s holiday rules remain authoritative; some holidays apply only in certain municipalities, and the planner names those explicitly.