Travelers Say This German Weekend Rule Takes Planning

A weekend in Germany can sound wonderfully simple, stroll through a historic town square, stop for coffee and cake, browse local shops, and pick up a few essentials along the way. For many of us, especially when we travel, weekends feel like the perfect time to run errands between sightseeing. But travelers who’ve been there say there’s one rule that can catch visitors off guard and it takes a bit of planning to avoid inconvenience.

In much of Germany, most stores are closed on Sundays.

This isn’t a temporary trend or a seasonal schedule. It’s a long-standing practice tied to laws that protect Sunday as a day of rest. While restaurants, cafés, and many tourist attractions remain open, supermarkets, pharmacies, clothing stores, and shopping centers are typically closed for the entire day. For visitors used to 24/7 convenience or at least Sunday afternoon shopping, this can come as a surprise.

It’s easy to see how it happens. We arrive on a Saturday evening, planning to grab groceries or toiletries the next morning, only to find dark storefronts and locked doors. Even in large cities like Berlin or Munich, the rule generally applies, with only limited exceptions in places like train stations, airports, or certain convenience shops and those often have higher prices and smaller selections.

The impact goes beyond shopping bags. If we’re staying in an apartment rental, planning a picnic, or cooking our own meals, forgetting about Sunday closures can mean adjusting plans at the last minute. Travelers say it’s one of those details that doesn’t always make it into glossy travel photos, but it can shape our day more than we expect.

At the same time, many visitors grow to appreciate the slower pace. Parks fill with families, walking paths get busier, and cafés feel more relaxed. Instead of errands, Sundays often turn into days for long walks, museum visits, or simply sitting in a town square and watching daily life unfold.

Before we go, we think it’s smart to treat Saturday as our main shopping day. We recommend picking up snacks, drinks, and anything essential in advance, especially if we’ll need supplies for Sunday. With a little preparation, this weekend rule doesn’t feel like a limitation, it becomes part of experiencing Germany the way many locals do.