At Pentecost 2023, fresh rolls and baked goods should not be missing for many people. But are bakers even open on the holidays?
Cologne – After Ascension Day, Pentecost is just around the corner. However, if you want to have fresh baked goods during the holidays, there are a few things to consider: bakeries in North Rhine-Westphalia and other federal states have special opening hours at Pentecost.
Pentecost 2023: This is how bakeries in the individual federal states are open on public holidays
Depending on the federal state, bakeries have different opening hours at Pentecost (symbolic photo). © Smith/Imago
As with supermarkets, the opening hours of bakeries depend on the shop opening law. Depending on the federal state, there are different regulations. While bakeries in North Rhine-Westphalia are allowed to open on Whit Sunday and remain closed on Whit Monday, the situation in Baden-Württemberg is exactly the opposite. There, bakers are not allowed to open on Whit Sunday, but on Whit Monday. In Berlin, bakeries are even open on both days of Pentecost. This is what it looks like in the individual federal states:
Baden-Württemberg
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries remain closed
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for a total of three hours
Bavaria
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for a total of three hours
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries remain closed
Berlin
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open until 16 p.m
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are allowed to open until 16 p.m
Brandenburg
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open from 7 a.m. to 19 p.m
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries remain closed
Bremen
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for three hours between 8 a.m. and 16 p.m.
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries remain closed
Hamburg
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for five hours between 7 a.m. and 16 p.m.
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries remain closed
Hesse
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries remain closed
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are open for up to six hours
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are open for a maximum of five hours
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are open for a maximum of five hours
Lower Saxony
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are open for a maximum of five hours
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are open for a maximum of five hours
North Rhine-Westphalia
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for a maximum of five hours
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries remain closed
Rhineland-Palatinate
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries must remain closed
Saarland
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries remain closed
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for a maximum of five hours
Saxony
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open from 7 a.m. to 18 p.m. for a total of six hours
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries remain closed
Saxony-Anhalt
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for a maximum of five hours
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for a maximum of five hours
Schleswig-Holstein
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries remain closed
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for five hours
Thuringia
► Whit Sunday (28 May): Bakeries remain closed
► Whit Monday (29 May): Bakeries are allowed to open for five hours between 7 a.m. and 17 p.m.
Are supermarkets also open at Pentecost?
It is clearer when shopping in the supermarket. Because Aldi, Rewe, Kaufland and Co usually have to remain closed on public holidays. Delivery services such as Gorillas or Flink will also not be allowed to deliver food from supermarkets.
Shopping at Pentecost 2023: These alternatives are available
If you still urgently need to shop on the Whitsun holidays, or need fresh rolls when the bakery around the corner has just closed, you still have alternatives. This is because shops at public buildings such as airports and train stations are usually allowed to open on public holidays. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, shops at Cologne Central Station or Düsseldorf Airport will remain open over Pentecost. (jr) Fair and independent information about what is happening in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany – subscribe to our free 24RHEIN newsletter here.