Holiday planning
Long Weekends in Switzerland 2026
Switzerland has 14 long weekends in 2026. The longest natural break is 4 days around New Year's Day & Berchtold Day (Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan). Take Wednesday off and turn the New Year's Day & Berchtold Day break into a 5-day run.
14
Long weekends
5
Longest break (days)
14
Bridge day opportunities
Official reference: ch.ch — Public holidays in Switzerland · How we verify this data
All long weekends in Switzerland 2026
Sorted by calendar date. "Days off" = the natural break without any annual leave. "Bridge days" = working days to take as paid leave to extend the break.
| Date range | Holiday | Days off | Bridge days to take | Total break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 31 Dec – Sun 4 Jan | New Year's Day, Berchtold Day | 4 | Wednesday(Wed 31 Dec) | 5d |
| Sat 3 Jan – Tue 6 Jan | Epiphany | 1 | Monday(Mon 5 Jan) | 4d |
| Thu 19 Mar – Sun 22 Mar | Saint Joseph's Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 20 Mar) | 4d |
| Thu 2 Apr – Mon 6 Apr | Good Friday, Näfels procession, Easter Monday | 4 | Thursday(Thu 2 Apr) | 5d |
| Thu 30 Apr – Sun 3 May | Labour Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 30 Apr) | 4d |
| Thu 14 May – Sun 17 May | Ascension Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 15 May) | 4d |
| Fri 22 May – Mon 25 May | Whit Monday | 3 | Friday(Fri 22 May) | 4d |
| Thu 4 Jun – Sun 7 Jun | Corpus Christi | 1 | Friday(Fri 5 Jun) | 4d |
| Fri 26 Jun – Mon 29 Jun | Saint Peter and Saint Paul | 3 | Friday(Fri 26 Jun) | 4d |
| Thu 10 Sept – Sun 13 Sept | Geneva Prayday | 1 | Friday(Fri 11 Sept) | 4d |
| Fri 18 Sept – Mon 21 Sept | Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Federal Fast Monday | 3 | Friday(Fri 18 Sept) | 4d |
| Sat 5 Dec – Tue 8 Dec | Immaculate Conception | 1 | Monday(Mon 7 Dec) | 4d |
| Thu 24 Dec – Sun 27 Dec | Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day | 3 | Thursday(Thu 24 Dec) | 4d |
| Thu 31 Dec – Sun 3 Jan | Restoration Day | 1 | Friday(Fri 1 Jan) | 4d |
Best long weekends in Switzerland 2026
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
January
New Year's Day & Berchtold Day
Wed 31 Dec – Sun 4 Jan
5
days
April
Good Friday & Näfels procession & Easter Monday
Thu 2 Apr – Mon 6 Apr
5
days
January
Epiphany
Sat 3 Jan – Tue 6 Jan
4
days
March
Saint Joseph's Day
Thu 19 Mar – Sun 22 Mar
4
days
How to use bridge days in Switzerland
A bridge day (sometimes called a sandwiched day) is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking it as paid annual leave, you connect the holiday to the weekend and create a longer uninterrupted break.
For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, taking Friday off gives you Thursday + Friday + Saturday + Sunday — four consecutive days using only one day of leave.
In Switzerland 2026, there are 14 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around New Year's Day & Berchtold Day: take Wednesday off to turn a 4-day break into 5 consecutive days using only 1 day of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan
Berchtold Day
Fri 2 Jan
Good Friday
Fri 3 Apr
Näfels procession
Sat 4 Apr
Easter Monday
Mon 6 Apr
Epiphany
Tue 6 Jan
Saint Joseph's Day
Thu 19 Mar
Labour Day
Fri 1 May
Ascension Day
Thu 14 May
Whit Monday
Mon 25 May
Corpus Christi
Thu 4 Jun
Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Mon 29 Jun
Geneva Prayday
Thu 10 Sept
Federal Day of Thanksgiving
Sun 20 Sept
Federal Fast Monday
Mon 21 Sept
Immaculate Conception
Tue 8 Dec
Christmas Day
Fri 25 Dec
St. Stephen's Day
Sat 26 Dec
Restoration Day
Thu 31 Dec
Continue exploring
More for Switzerland 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in Switzerland 2026
Full list of 21 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in Switzerland 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in Switzerland 2027
Same bridge day analysis for 2027.
Region guide
Public holidays across Europe
Compare holiday calendars for neighbouring countries in the region.
Calculator
Working Days Between Two Dates
Net working days for any date range — public holidays excluded, 192 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does Switzerland have in 2026?
Switzerland has 14 long weekends in 2026 where a public holiday creates a break of three or more consecutive days.
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day is a regular working day that falls between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it as annual leave creates an uninterrupted break of four or more days using just one or two days of paid leave — maximising your time off.
What is the longest long weekend in Switzerland in 2026?
The longest break is 5 days from Wednesday, 31 December 2025 to Sunday, 4 January 2026, centred around New Year's Day and Berchtold Day (taking Wednesday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in Switzerland 2026?
The best bridge day opportunity is around New Year's Day & Berchtold Day (Thu 1 Jan – Sun 4 Jan). Take Wednesday as annual leave to get a 5-day break using only 1 day of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in Switzerland?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.