Country guide · DE

Germany

6 destinations & festivals · 1 etiquette rules

Photo: Wilfredor · CC0

Before you go

Read before you go

Good mannersEveryday manners

Germany: most shops close on Sundays

Shop for food and essentials on Saturday
If you need to shop on Sunday, go to shops at railway stations, airports or petrol stations

Planning a shopping trip for Sunday

There is no penalty — you will just find everything closed. Sunday is protected as a day of rest by the constitution, and each state allows only a few 'open Sundays' a year.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Library of Congress law blog: Germany's shop opening laws

Festivals

Festivals & celebrations

Places & local life

Landmarks, hidden gems & local life

Classic landmarkBavaria, Germany

Neuschwanstein Castle

The dream castle of the 'Fairy-Tale King' Ludwig II, inspiration for the Disney castle

Classic landmarkBerlin, Germany

Brandenburg Gate

From division to unity: the 'triumphal arch' of modern German history

Classic landmarkMunich, Germany (Neuhausen-Nymphenburg)

Nymphenburg Palace

The Wittelsbachs' summer palace: its façade is wider than Versailles', and it was the birthplace of Ludwig II, the 'Fairy-Tale King'.

Classic landmarkMunich (old town centre), Germany

Marienplatz and the New Town Hall

Munich's central square since 1158: the Glockenspiel in the New Town Hall tower re-enacts a 16th-century wedding and the coopers' dance.