Germans' favorite vacation destinations

The most popular vacation destination for Germans is their own homeland. In 2015, 29 % of German holidaymakers spent their vacation in Germany. The most popular state to visit was Bavaria, with its attractions like the fairytale castle at Neuschwanstein and Oktoberfest. Still, it was a neck-and-neck race with the seaside of its northern counterpart, Mecklenburg-Pomerania.

German holidaymakers flock to Baltic Sea beaches; resorts with famous spa architecture such as in Sellin on Rügen, the biggest German Baltic Sea Island, are most popular. Despite more than 2000 kilometers (1242 m) of coastline in Mecklenburg-Pomerania, life's not only a beach there. It's home to untouched nature as well as the idyllic Hanseatic brick-gothic towns of Stralsund, Wismar and Rostock.

Still, two-thirds of the vacations taken by Germans land them abroad, with Spain topping the list of destinations. Olé! In 2015, beach and party holiday makers most frequented the Balearic Islands, like Mallorca (above), followed by the Canary Islands of Tenerife and Fuerteventura. Their popularity might actually grow this year as many avoid holidaying in northern Africa over security concerns.

Germans remained faithful to "bella Italia", making it the third most popular country destination for holiday makers in 2015. Most headed to central Italy, with its idyllic countryside and medieval cities of Tuscany, Umbria and Latium. It may get crowded, though, as outside of Rome, the country is wildly popular not just with German travelers but particularly with British holidaymakers too.

Protected coasts, turquoise-blue sea, some 400 beaches and excellent tourism infrastructure; Turkey has a lot to offer. It landed in fourth place in 2015 with German travelers. Very popular was the Turkish Riviera around Antalya. It remains to be seen if Turkey can keep this position in 2016 or if security concerns might help other sunny destinations like Bulgaria or Portugal make gains.

Clear air, secluded mountain pastures, fabulous views; Germany's neighbor Austria comfortably secured fifth place in the top ten holiday destinations of Germans in 2015. But over the long term there's been a steady decline of German visitors to the mountains, as just 8% (2005:10%, 1995:12%) took to the Alpine regions in France, Italy, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Holidaying by the Mediterranean Sea has been a steadily growing trend. Croatia, once destroyed by war, is becoming increasingly popular with families seeking beach vacations offering crystal clear lakes, more than 1000 islands and picturesque old town centers, like Dubrovnik (pictured). The Balkan country has become the sixth most popular holiday destination for Germans, just ahead of France.

Whitewashed houses, sun, culture – Greece also made it into the top ten holiday destinations of Germans in 2015. The outlook for 2016 is far from certain. Bookings in the eastern Aegean Sea have plummeted due to the refugee crisis, while other Greek destinations like Crete and Corfu, according to leading travel company Tui, have seen continued gains.

France slipped to 8th place! With every seventh German holidaymaker staying away, the country has slid down its throne. Nevertheless the country of fashion and wine is still a popular vacation destination, as the joie de vivre drew holidaymakers to the Cote d'Azur, like Nice (pictured), with its culinary delights, fashionable beach promenades and the chance to explore coastal villages.

German vacationers are by far the greatest fans of Poland as they make up the biggest number of foreign visitors. The popular regions are Silesia with its metropolis Wrocław, or Breslau as Germans call it, Warmia and Mazury as well as the Pomeranian Bay on the Baltic. Poland also is a comparatively cheap holiday destination. This all earned it 9th place for the second consecutive year.

Coming in 10th is The Netherlands. Most holidays here are defined by beach fun at the North Sea, biking tours through tulip fields and passing windmills or spending time in the canal city of Amsterdam. Germans travelling to the Netherlands are changing their behavior though: in 2015 most preferred to come here for a short break rather than spending their main annual vacation in the Netherlands.