A vacation without photos? Hardly imaginable. We want to capture the most beautiful moments along the way: be it a picture in front of the majestic Eiffel Tower, a selfie next to a famous work of art or a panoramic shot of breathtaking landscapes - ideally in bright sunshine.

Skylum, leading provider of AI-based image editing software such as Luminar Neo and provider of Luminar Adventures, has researched the 25 most popular travel destinations for Germans in Europe to find out which destinations are most worthwhile for photo-loving travelers. For this purpose, selected travel destinations were compared using four categories. The results were compared to the overall size of the respective city and given a score between one and 25. (More information in the “About the Investigation” section.)

These destinations promise a nice vacation photo: Athens, Lisbon and Porto

With a total of 92 out of 100 possible points, Greece's capital can secure the title as the best photography destination in the comparison. Nestled in a picturesque mountain landscape, Athens offers a wealth of historical sites and ancient ruins such as the Acropolis, the Erechtheion and the Agora. With an average of 74 attractions per square kilometer, there is an enormous selection of photo opportunities for travelers. The numerous art museums and galleries also invite creative travelers to get inspiration for their next snapshot. However, with 7,2 average hours of sunshine per day, Athens is not one of the sunniest travel destinations in comparison.

Sun worshipers should head to the Portuguese metropolis of Lisbon, which, with an average of 8,3 hours of sunshine per day, offers plenty of light for optimal photographic conditions. The hilly city on the Atlantic lands in second place among the best photography destinations with 86 out of 100 total points. Third place in the analysis also goes to a Portuguese city. With 84 out of 100 possible points, Porto ranks among the photography hotspots. With an average of 7,3 hours of sunshine per day, the city near the river also offers slightly more light than Athens and has 38 sights per square kilometer. A highlight is the famous Ponte Dom Luís - one of the six bridges that connect Porto with the city of Vila Nova de Gaia and give the city in northern Portugal its characteristic appearance.

Paris and Barcelona are also among the top photography destinations with 81 and 80 out of 100 points respectively. Paris boasts 86 sights per square kilometer and 218 art galleries, making the city the city with the highest number of photo opportunities and art galleries per square kilometer in comparison.

The bottom of the photo destinations: Reykjavik and Istanbul

At the bottom of the photo destination ranking are Reykjavik and Istanbul. Istanbul takes last place with 21 out of 100 possible points, followed by Reykjavik with 22 points. Both cities perform comparatively poorly when it comes to the number of attractions per square kilometer. Istanbul may have a total of 5.163 attractions, but when you consider the size of the city, that only works out to one attraction per square kilometer. In comparison, Reykjavik offers at least three attractions per square kilometer. Careful planning is essential for vacationers planning to visit Reykjavik, as the city averages just 3,4 hours of sunshine per day – the lowest level of sunlight for photographers. The average summer temperatures between 10˚C and 15˚C make the Icelandic summer comparable to our autumn weather. The best time to tour Iceland is June, July and August.

Anastasia Sliusarenko, Brand Manager at Skylum, adds to the analysis: “For anyone who likes to travel and wants to improve their photography skills at the same time, our Luminar Adventures could be the right choice. These are guided photography trips in which the Skylum experts also offer workshops. So anyone who is interested in an adventure in places like Madeira, the Azores, Greenland, Iceland, Japan or even Antarctica is welcome to join our photography expeditions.”