Check if it's open
What this solves
Travellers assume Sundays in Germany work like Sundays in London or Paris — a few hours, half the shops closed. Reality is stricter: most chains close the entire day, and your hotel breakfast ends at 10:30 because the Bäckerei down the road stops at 17:00 only because of a Bavarian touristische Ausnahme. This tool removes the surprise of walking to a REWE that hasn't opened since Saturday.
It also helps with the cases that look open but technically aren't: a souvenir shop in München's old town opens Sunday because Bayern § 11 Ladenschlussgesetz carves out a zone. A souvenir shop in Köln's Dom-Hauptbahnhof opens Sunday because of the Bahnhost-Ausnahme. The same surface behaviour, two different laws.
How to read the result
- "Open with restriction" = legally allowed, but with limited hours (e.g. Bäckerei 7:00-17:00 only).
- "Open by exception" = needs a specific carve-out — tourist zone, Bahnhof, Tankstelle, Apotheken-Notdienst.
- "Closed by law" = Ladenschlussgesetz applies. A supermarket or Baumarkt will be closed.
- "Public holiday?" The same rules apply on most German public holidays (Feiertage). Some states are stricter (Bayern: even Tankstelle partly restricted).
- "After hours" means the location might open the next day at 7:00 — verify on Google Maps for the exact time.
Limitations
- Does not track municipal verkaufsoffene Sonntage (most NRW cities allow 3-6 per year).
- Apotheken-Notdienst is by rotation, not by location — you have to check the daily Notdienst calendar.
- The "touristische Bereiche" designation in Bayern is granted by Gemeinde, not by state — some tourist towns have wider zones than others.
- Public holiday rules vary by state: Bayern has more Feiertage than NRW, and stricter Sunday rules on them.
- Does not include late-night Kiosk/Späti in Berlin (always allowed) — the city has effectively opted out of the worst of Ladenschluss.
FAQ
Are all shops closed on Sundays by law?
Yes, by default. The Ladenschlussgesetz (LadSchlG) is a federal law banning Verkaufsstellen from opening Sundays and public holidays. The § 4–§ 9 list the exceptions: Bäckereien, Tankstellen, Apotheken, and certain Bahnhofs-Apotheken, plus the touristische Bereiche carve-out for some states.
What is the Bayerische § 11 touristic exception?
Bayern's Ladenschlussgesetz Art. 11 lets shops in officially designated Touristische Bereiche (e.g. München Marienplatz, Rothenburg, Oberammergau) open on Sundays with state-defined limits. The designation is granted per Gemeinde by the Bezirk. Tourists see this as "every souvenir shop is open"; it is actually limited to a small zone.
How do Apotheken-Notdienst work?
Apotheken rotate 24-hour emergency service by district. Each evening at 20:00 a different Apotheke in your area takes over until 8:00 the next morning. The list (Notdienstplan) is at aponet.de or on the door of any Apotheke.
What about verkaufsoffene Sonntage?
Some municipalities (mostly NRW and Bayern) issue 3–6 verkaufsoffene Sonntage per year, usually tied to Stadtfest or local events. They are limited in scope (specific zones, specific dates) — don't count on them for routine Sunday shopping.
Related tools
Even if the shop is open, the building next door has a quiet-hours rule. Sundays are the strictest.
Most Biergärten are open Sundays — and many neighbourhoods count on the Sunday-Spaziergang trade.
Restaurants aren't affected by Ladenschluss. Sunday brunch and Mittagstisch still run.
Gelber Sack is collected differently in tourist-heavy areas. Don't recycle on Sunday.
Sources
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Maß und Gewicht · Ladenschlussgesetz Bayern (Art. 11)
- Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft (BMWK) · Ladenschlussgesetz (LadSchlG) federal text
- Bayerische Staatsregierung · Tourismus- und Freizeitwirtschaft-Bericht 2026
- ABDA (Apothekerverband) · Notdienstpläne & Apothekenfinder
- IHK München · Touristische Bereiche definition & Gemeindeanträge
About this tool
This decoder reflects the 2026 Ladenschlussgesetz text and the major state-level exceptions (Bayern Art. 11, NRW verkaufsoffene Sonntage, Berlin Kiosk/Späti culture). It is reference-only. For a specific Apotheken-Notdienst or a specific Gemeinde's tourist zone, check aponet.de or the local IHK.
Privacy
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Disclaimer
Opening hours and Sunday exceptions reflect 2026 published values and may change at municipal level. The result is an estimate, not legal advice. Confirm with the local shop, Apotheken-Notdienstplan, or Gemeinde before relying on this for a non-refundable plan.