4 days off for 1 day of leave
Long weekends 2028 in Belgium
Belgium has 11 public holidays in 2028, and 8 of them land on a weekday. Book 1 day of leave for 25 to 28 May and you are off for 4 days straight. The longest break with up to 10 days of leave: 9 days, 15 to 23 April, for 4 days of leave.
- Bank holidays 2028
- 11
- on weekdays
- 8
- bridge days
- 2
- off for 4 days of annual leave
- 9 days
Belgium in 2028 at a glance
Belgium has 11 public holidays in 2028, taken from the official government list. 3 fall on a weekend.
Leave rules differ by employer and contract in Belgium, so the planner shows every budget from one to ten days. Among the 14 countries we cover outside our main markets, Belgium ranks number 8 for full days off this year.
All public holidays 2028 in Belgium, one by one
Here is each day off in date order, what it marks, and the quickest way to turn it into a longer break.
Italy
BrusselsiPhoto: Horst J. Meuter · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons- Saturday, 1 January: Nieuwjaar. New Year's Day follows the fireworks at midnight and is a quiet day of rest across the country. It falls on a Saturday, and Belgium's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2028.
- Sunday, 16 April: Pasen. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection with church services, family meals and, in many places, egg hunts. Most shops close for the day. It falls on a Sunday, and Belgium's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2028.
- Monday, 17 April: Paasmaandag. Easter Monday closes the long Easter weekend with family outings and, in Italy, Pasquetta picnics in the countryside. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 15 to 17 April.
- Monday, 1 May: Dag van de arbeid. Labour Day on 1 May honours workers with marches and gatherings, and it is often a first spring long weekend for short trips. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 29 April to 1 May.
- Thursday, 25 May: Onze Lieve Heer hemel. Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday, forty days after Easter. Many people take the Friday off for a classic bridge and a four day weekend. Take Friday, 26 May off and you have 4 days in a row, 25 to 28 May.
- Monday, 5 June: Pinkstermaandag. Whit Monday follows Pentecost Sunday and gives a spring long weekend, popular for short trips and outdoor events. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 3 to 5 June.
- Friday, 21 July: Nationale feestdag. Belgian National Day on 21 July marks King Leopold I's oath in 1831. Brussels celebrates with a military parade, a folk festival and fireworks. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 21 to 23 July.
- Tuesday, 15 August: Onze Lieve Vrouw hemelvaart. Assumption Day on 15 August falls at the height of summer, when many families are on holiday and beaches are at their busiest. Take Monday, 14 August off and you have 4 days in a row, 12 to 15 August.
- Wednesday, 1 November: Allerheiligen. All Saints' Day is a day to remember the dead, with candles and flowers on family graves. It often creates an autumn long weekend. Take Monday, 30 October and Tuesday, 31 October off and you have 5 days in a row, 28 October to 1 November.
- Saturday, 11 November: Wapenstilstand. Armistice Day on 11 November marks the end of the First World War, with ceremonies across Belgium, notably at the Menin Gate in Ypres. It falls on a Saturday, and Belgium's list has no weekday in lieu for it in 2028.
- Monday, 25 December: Kerstdag. Christmas Day is a day for family meals and church, with nearly everything closed. Leave in the week after it gives a long winter break. That makes 3 days off in a row without using any leave, 23 to 25 December.
ItalyBrusselsiPhoto: Horst J. Meuter · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe best breaks in 2028, explained
Each break below starts and ends on a free day, contains at least one public holiday, and needs no more than 10 days of leave. They are ranked by how many days off each day of leave brings.
15 to 23 April: 4 days of leave (18 to 21 April) around Pasen and Paasmaandag give 9 days off, 2,3 days for every day used.
29 April to 7 May: 4 days of leave (2 to 5 May) around Dag van de arbeid give 9 days off, 2,3 days for every day used.
Around Onze Lieve Heer hemel, 1 day of leave on Fri 26 May unlocks 4 days away, 25 to 28 May.
3 to 11 June: 4 days of leave (6 to 9 June) around Pinkstermaandag give 9 days off, 2,3 days for every day used.
Around Onze Lieve Vrouw hemelvaart, 1 day of leave on Mon 14 August unlocks 4 days away, 12 to 15 August.
28 October to 1 November: 2 days of leave (30 October and 31 October) around Allerheiligen give 5 days off, 2,5 days for every day used.
The best breaks 2028 in Belgium
Every row is a run of weekends, public holidays and days of leave. The highlighted row brings the most days off per day of leave.
| Dates | Result | Leave on | Bank holidays | School holidays | Plan a trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Dec 25 to Sun, Jan 2 | 9 days offfor 5 days of annual leave, 1.8 days off per day of leave | Mon, Dec 27 · Tue, Dec 28 · Wed, Dec 29 · Thu, Dec 30 · Fri, Dec 31 | Kerstdag, Nieuwjaar | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Apr 15 to Sun, Apr 23 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Apr 18 · Wed, Apr 19 · Thu, Apr 20 · Fri, Apr 21 | Pasen, Paasmaandag | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Apr 29 to Sun, May 7 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, May 2 · Wed, May 3 · Thu, May 4 · Fri, May 5 | Dag van de arbeid | none | Plan a trip |
| Thu, May 25 to Sun, May 28 | 4 days offfor 1 day of annual leave, 4 days off per day of leave | Fri, May 26 | Onze Lieve Heer hemel | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Jun 3 to Sun, Jun 11 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Jun 6 · Wed, Jun 7 · Thu, Jun 8 · Fri, Jun 9 | Pinkstermaandag | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Jul 15 to Sun, Jul 23 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Mon, Jul 17 · Tue, Jul 18 · Wed, Jul 19 · Thu, Jul 20 | Nationale feestdag | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Aug 12 to Tue, Aug 15 | 4 days offfor 1 day of annual leave, 4 days off per day of leave | Mon, Aug 14 | Onze Lieve Vrouw hemelvaart | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Oct 28 to Wed, Nov 1 | 5 days offfor 2 days of annual leave, 2.5 days off per day of leave | Mon, Oct 30 · Tue, Oct 31 | Allerheiligen | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Nov 4 to Sun, Nov 12 | 9 days offfor 5 days of annual leave, 1.8 days off per day of leave | Mon, Nov 6 · Tue, Nov 7 · Wed, Nov 8 · Thu, Nov 9 · Fri, Nov 10 | Wapenstilstand | none | Plan a trip |
| Sat, Dec 23 to Sun, Dec 31 | 9 days offfor 4 days of annual leave, 2.25 days off per day of leave | Tue, Dec 26 · Wed, Dec 27 · Thu, Dec 28 · Fri, Dec 29 | Kerstdag | none | Plan a trip |
What 1 to 10 days of leave bring
For each budget, the longest run of days off in 2028.
1 day of annual leave
4 days
May 25 to May 28
Onze Lieve Heer hemel
2 days of annual leave
5 days
October 28 to November 1
Allerheiligen
3 days of annual leave
6 days
May 20 to May 25
Onze Lieve Heer hemel
4 days of annual leave
9 days
April 15 to April 23
Pasen, Paasmaandag
5 days of annual leave
10 days
April 8 to April 17
Pasen, Paasmaandag
8 days of annual leave
13 days
May 13 to May 25
Onze Lieve Heer hemel
10 days of annual leave
18 days
May 25 to June 11
Onze Lieve Heer hemel, Pinkstermaandag
2028 calendar for Belgium
- Bank holiday
- Annual leave in a break
- Weekend
- School holidays
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
What 1 to 10 days of leave get you
With 1 day of leave the longest run you can build is 4 days, 25 to 28 May. Three days stretch to 6 days off (20 to 25 May). Five days, a typical week, become 10 days off around Pasen and Paasmaandag, 8 to 17 April.
Ten days, the most this planner books in one go, give 18 days in a row, 25 May to 11 June. For nine days or more away you need 4 days of leave.
Season by season in Belgium
Winter: Nieuwjaar on 1 January and Kerstdag on 25 December. The pick of the season is 23 to 31 December with 4 days of leave for 9 days off.
Spring: Pasen on 16 April, Paasmaandag on 17 April, Dag van de arbeid on 1 May and Onze Lieve Heer hemel on 25 May. The pick of the season is 25 to 28 May with 1 day of leave for 4 days off.
Summer: Pinkstermaandag on 5 June, Nationale feestdag on 21 July and Onze Lieve Vrouw hemelvaart on 15 August. The pick of the season is 12 to 15 August with 1 day of leave for 4 days off.
Autumn: Allerheiligen on 1 November and Wapenstilstand on 11 November. The pick of the season is 28 October to 1 November with 2 days of leave for 5 days off.
How Belgium stacks up
South Korea has the most with 19 public holidays in 2028, Mexico the fewest with 6. Belgium sits in between with 11.
Mexico
South KoreaiPhoto: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsIts best break, 25 to 28 May, returns 4,0 days off per day of leave. 3 countries get a better ratio this year, mostly thanks to an extra public holiday next to a weekend.
MexicoSouth KoreaiPhoto: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Long Weekend Planner 2028 for Belgium as a PDF
Every stretch, holiday and school break in BE on one printable page. Plus The Sunday Getaway every week and a note whenever a long weekend is worth it.
Public holidays 2028 in Belgium
| Date | Weekday | Bank holiday | Applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Saturday | Nieuwjaar | nationwide |
| April 16 | Sunday | Pasen | nationwide |
| April 17 | Monday | Paasmaandag | nationwide |
| May 1 | Monday | Dag van de arbeid | nationwide |
| May 25 | Thursday | Onze Lieve Heer hemel | nationwide |
| June 5 | Monday | Pinkstermaandag | nationwide |
| July 21 | Friday | Nationale feestdag | nationwide |
| August 15 | Tuesday | Onze Lieve Vrouw hemelvaart | nationwide |
| November 1 | Wednesday | Allerheiligen | nationwide |
| November 11 | Saturday | Wapenstilstand | nationwide |
| December 25 | Monday | Kerstdag | nationwide |
Where to go on a long weekend from Belgium
Belgians use long weekends for the Ardennes in autumn, the coast at Knokke and De Haan in summer, and Bruges and Ghent in any season. Paris, Amsterdam and the Moselle valley are close by for a short break.
AmsterdamiPhoto: Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
BrugesiPhoto: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsYour strongest breaks this year fall in April, May and June, so pick the trip that suits that season, and book early: everyone else in Belgium has the same days off.
AmsterdamiPhoto: Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsBrugesiPhoto: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsBelgium in other years
2026 and 2027 are planned as well, each with its own dates and breaks.
Holiday dates move every year: fixed-date days change their weekday, and Easter moves between late March and late April, which is why the best breaks are never the same twice.
Where these dates come from
Every date on this page comes from the official source for Belgium, read directly and compared day by day with an independent second source. A year appears once its official list is published, and we never fill a gap with another country's dates.
The planner treats weekends and full public holidays as free days and works out where your days of leave turn into the longest time off. Days kept in part of Belgium or as observances are shown but never counted. Last checked on 1 October 2026.
Long Weekend Planner 2028 in BE: frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Belgium have in 2028?
11 public holidays: Nieuwjaar on 1 January, Pasen on 16 April, Paasmaandag on 17 April, Dag van de arbeid on 1 May, Onze Lieve Heer hemel on 25 May, Pinkstermaandag on 5 June, Nationale feestdag on 21 July, Onze Lieve Vrouw hemelvaart on 15 August, Allerheiligen on 1 November, Wapenstilstand on 11 November and Kerstdag on 25 December. 8 fall on a weekday.
What is the best long weekend in Belgium in 2028?
25 to 28 May: 1 day of leave gives 4 days off around Onze Lieve Heer hemel.
How many days of leave do I need for nine days off in 2028?
4 days of leave: take 18 to 21 April off and you are off 15 to 23 April.
Is Good Friday a public holiday in Belgium in 2028?
No. Good Friday is not on Belgium's official list for 2028, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in Belgium in 2028?
No. Christmas Eve is not on Belgium's official list for 2028, so it is a regular workday unless your employer gives it.
2028 in the other countries
How the Long Weekend Planner works
Holidays: the public holidays from the official list in BE, checked date by date. The planner counts only days off for the whole region.
Stretches: start and end on a day off, include at least one holiday and at most 10 days of annual leave. Ranked by days off per day of leave; Saturday and Sunday count as free.
School holidays: officially published dates only, checked every month. Trip ideas: the month's climate and flights from the region's main airport.
