...am thinking of spending easter in germany. will there be any limitations, i.e., closed shops, few activities; or do you think the easter holiday time would be a good time to go?

ttt for jfm- anyone?

Shops, banks etc. will be closed on the Friday prior to Easter. It is a National holiday.

Saturday will be just normal.

Sunday and Monday are National holidays as well, so shops are going to be closed.

As to how much activity there is, I would think a lot depends on the weather. While on Friday it's quite likely that even a few restaurants and bars will be closed (not all), on Sunday and Monday restaurants etc. should be open. Not sure about museums, but would rather expect them to be closed. Probably worth checking beforehand.

hsv, do you really think many museums will be closed? From my experience I'd say most are open. I noticed that even some museums which are usually closed on Mondays open for Easter Monday. It's peak season!

The reason why I think it is NOT a good time to go is that popular tourist spots tend to be crowded.

ingo,

you appear to be right. I did a quick search on opening hours of a few museums and they appear to be open for Easter.