As Good Friday, one of the most significant holidays for Protestant and Catholic Christians, arrives on April 18, 2025, life in Germany comes to a standstill. Shops are closed, reflecting the solemnity of the day as believers remember the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Similar closures occur on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, creating a stark contrast with the neighboring Netherlands, where many Germans traditionally cross the border to explore cities, attend events, and shop during the Easter festivities.
The Dutch celebrate Easter with a blend of tradition and modernity. While Dutch schoolchildren do not have holidays until after Easter, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday are recognized public holidays. However, secularization in the Netherlands has progressed further than in Germany, with many people still working on these days. Most schools and universities are closed, but shopping districts and malls welcome paying customers.
According to the ADAC, traffic is expected to be heavy on the A3, A57, and A40 highways leading to the Netherlands. Fortunately, border controls are not anticipated to cause significant delays. The ANWB predicts that the heaviest traffic will occur on Thursday, April 17, and Friday, April 18, particularly in North Brabant and around the Veluwe. Travelers should expect congestion on routes heading south from Utrecht and on the A12 between Arnhem and the German border.
In Nijmegen, most shops will remain open until 5 PM on Good Friday, but they will be closed on Easter Sunday. On Easter Monday, shops will reopen from 12 PM to 5 PM. A similar pattern is observed in Arnhem, where shops will operate from 9:30 AM to 6 PM on Good Friday and again from 12 PM to 5 PM on Easter Monday. Venlo and Enschede follow suit, with shops closed on Easter Sunday.
The Designer Outlet Roermond, boasting around 200 shops, restaurants, and cafes, will be open from 9 AM to 10 PM throughout the extended Easter weekend. Likewise, the Batavia Stad Fashion Outlet in Lelystad will operate from 10 AM to 8 PM on all four days of the holiday.
For those seeking day trip ideas, nearby cities such as Zutphen, 's-Heerenberg, Winterswijk, Doesburg, Deventer, and Nijmegen offer plenty of attractions. Bronkhorst, the smallest city in the kingdom with a population of just 150, is a quaint destination. The castle gardens in Arcen have recently opened for the season, showcasing their floral beauty, while various recreational facilities such as the Apenheul Primate Park in Apeldoorn, Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, and the Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel will also be open for Easter.
Numerous Easter activities are planned, including a large flower and plant market in the city center of Groningen on Good Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM. Deventer will host its Good Friday market from 9 AM to 4 PM at various locations, featuring stalls filled with goods, a carousel for children, and a petting farm. On Easter Monday, one of the largest Easter markets in the Netherlands will take place in Nijmegen, starting at 11 AM in the heart of the oldest city in the country. Additionally, Espelo near Deventer will hold one of the largest Easter bonfires in the Netherlands on Easter Sunday at 8 PM, complete with live music. This bonfire, which reached a height of 27.87 meters in 1987, was even listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
In Germany, many supermarkets will remain closed during the Easter holidays, but some exceptions apply. On Gründonnerstag (April 17), all major supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, and Edeka will operate normally. However, on Good Friday (April 18), all regular supermarkets will be closed as it is a public holiday. Karsamstag (April 19) is a normal working day, and all supermarkets will be open. On Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (April 20 and 21), regular supermarkets will again be closed.
Despite these closures, there are alternatives for those in need of last-minute supplies. Drug stores and supermarkets located at train stations, ferry terminals, or airports are allowed to open on Easter holidays, as are some shops in tourist areas. Kiosks and late-night stores may also operate during this time in certain federal states, and gas stations with food sections often remain open as well.
Bakeries have special regulations, allowing them to open on Sundays and public holidays. However, they must remain closed on Easter Sunday, the second Christmas holiday, and Pfingstmontag unless they have an attached café. In Bavaria, bakers can open for a maximum of three hours on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, while in North Rhine-Westphalia, they can operate for up to five hours. Bakers in Hessen must close on all three holidays.
As the Easter weekend approaches, the weather forecast suggests a mix of sun and rain across different regions. Travelers using Deutsche Bahn should also prepare for some service disruptions due to planned track closures during the holiday.
In addition to the holiday closures, German television offers a vibrant mix of programming during Easter. On Good Friday, the ARD will begin the day with an evangelical service, followed by the classic film "Die Zehn Gebote". The ZDF will feature "Cleopatra" and the popular family film "Das Traumschiff". ProSieben will present a Transformers marathon, while family-friendly films will air on Sat.1, RTL, and Vox.
On Easter Sunday, viewers can expect a blend of spiritual content and blockbuster films, including "Uncharted" on Sat.1 and "Eternals" on ProSieben. Families can enjoy animated films such as "Die Croods" and "Hotel Transsilvanien 2" on RTL, while RTL 2 will showcase a Monty Python double feature. The programming continues into Easter Monday with classic films and new crime series, ensuring that there is something for everyone to enjoy during the holiday.
