Life · Guide
Where to Shop in Germany on October 3, 2026: Unity Day Falls on a Saturday
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In brief
Most German shops close on October 3, 2026, because German Unity Day is a nationwide public holiday that this year falls on a Saturday, right before the regular Sunday closing. Exceptions exist at supermarkets inside major train stations and airports, at gas-station shops, and for bakeries during limited morning hours.
Why Germany Shuts Down on October 3
October 3 is Germany's only public holiday set by federal law, meaning it applies in all 16 states and marks the anniversary of German reunification, according to Walk of Berlin and Tagesspiegel. On that day, shops follow the same closing rules as a Sunday under state store-opening laws. In 2026 the holiday lands on a Saturday, which means regular retail stores are closed for two days in a row, since Sunday trading is also restricted nationwide, according to shopping-guide site Monsterdealz and Berliner Zeitung.
What's Exempt From the Holiday Closing Rules
- Supermarkets and convenience shops inside major train stations and airports, where travel-related sales are allowed under regional store-opening laws, according to Tagesspiegel and Berliner Zeitung.
- Roughly 900 REWE To Go outlets located at Aral gas stations nationwide, per Monsterdealz.
- Bakeries, permitted to sell for limited hours — for example 7:00 to 16:00 in Berlin, or up to five hours in North Rhine-Westphalia, according to Walk of Berlin and Monsterdealz.
- Small, staff-less automated mini-markets, allowed to stay open in Hesse (up to 120 square meters) and Bavaria (up to 150 square meters), per Monsterdealz.
- Pharmacies, accessible only through each region's emergency on-call rotation, according to Walk of Berlin.
Step-by-Step: Plan Your Shopping Around the Holiday
- Do your main grocery shopping on Friday, October 2, while stores keep normal weekday hours.
- If you still need something on Saturday, check whether a train station or airport supermarket is nearby — several keep extended hours (see table below).
- For fuel, snacks or last-minute items, use a gas station shop; many of the REWE To Go kiosks operate long hours or around the clock.
- For fresh bread, go early, since exempted bakeries generally stop selling by mid-afternoon.
- If you need medication, use your region's pharmacy emergency-service locator rather than assuming a regular pharmacy is open.
City by City: Where to Find an Open Supermarket
| City | Store / location | Hours on Oct 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin | Rewe, Hauptbahnhof | 6:00–23:00 (Berliner Zeitung) |
| Berlin | Rewe, Ostbahnhof | 6:00–22:00 (Tagesspiegel) |
| Berlin | Edeka, Friedrichstraße / Lichtenberg / Südkreuz | 8:00–22:00 (Tagesspiegel, Berliner Zeitung) |
| Berlin | Rewe, BER Airport | 24 hours (Tagesspiegel) |
| Hamburg | Edeka, Bahnhof Altona | 6:00–23:00 (Berliner Zeitung) |
| Hamburg | Edeka, Flughafen | 6:00–22:00 (Berliner Zeitung) |
| Munich | Edeka, Hauptbahnhof | 8:00–23:00 (Berliner Zeitung) |
| Munich | Rewe To Go, Hauptbahnhof | 24 hours (Berliner Zeitung) |
| Dresden | Rewe To Go, Hauptbahnhof | 5:00–24:00 (Berliner Zeitung) |
Leipzig is an exception among major cities: Berliner Zeitung reports that station supermarkets such as Rewe and Aldi Nord stay closed there on the holiday, leaving only drugstores offering a limited selection of packaged food.
Make Friday, October 2, your errand day.
Questions
- Why are German shops closed for two days around October 3, 2026?
- October 3 is a nationwide statutory holiday, and in 2026 it falls on a Saturday, immediately followed by Sunday, when regular store-opening rules also keep most shops shut, according to Monsterdealz.
- Are Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and Kaufland open on October 3?
- Their regular branches are closed nationwide. Only Rewe To Go kiosks at some Aral gas stations and Rewe or Edeka branches inside train stations and airports stay open, per Monsterdealz and Berliner Zeitung.
- Can I buy bread on the holiday?
- Yes, bakeries are allowed limited Sunday-style hours, for example 7:00 to 16:00 in Berlin, according to Walk of Berlin.
- What if I need a pharmacy on October 3?
- Regular pharmacies are closed; only the designated emergency on-call pharmacy for each area is open, according to Walk of Berlin.
- Does this closing pattern repeat every year?
- The holiday date is fixed on October 3, but the day of the week it falls on changes each year; in 2026 it directly precedes a normally closed Sunday, extending the closure, per Monsterdealz.
How the world is telling it
- GermanGerman outlets frame this mainly as a practical service story, warning shoppers that the Saturday holiday is followed by a closed Sunday, and pointing to well-known workarounds such as train-station supermarkets and gas-station shops.
Sources
- Tagesspiegel — Diese Berliner Supermärkte haben am Tag der Deutschen Einheit geöffnet
- Berliner Zeitung — Feiertag am Samstag: In diesen Supermärkten können Sie am 3. Oktober trotzdem einkaufen
- Monsterdealz — Aldi, Lidl, Rewe & Co. am 3. Oktober 2026: Welche Supermärkte offen haben
- Walk of Berlin — German Unity Day in Berlin: What Is Open on 3 October
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
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