Overview

• The federal Festakt in Saarbrücken will feature French President Emmanuel Macron as guest speaker, with addresses by Saarland’s Anke Rehlinger and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
• Organizers expect hundreds of thousands of visitors and have made bus and rail travel free across Saarland from 2–4 October, with extra services, road closures and park‑and‑ride options.
• Cities are staging broad cultural programs, including a fest concert and time‑witness talks in Potsdam, guided tours along the former border, and Berlin events such as the Tag der Clubkultur and a Mubi film fest with Wim Wenders and Kelly Reichardt.
• The Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund will launch the nationwide Grüne‑Band app at 12:00 as a digital guide to history and nature along the former inner‑German border, complemented by a guided hike and panel discussion.
• Ahead of the holiday, states reiterate retail rules that keep most shops closed, with limited bakery opening hours varying by state and exceptions at major stations and airports.