The Germans' favorite travel destinations

Thirty-four percent of Germans spent their holidays in Germany in 2018, according to the Foundation for Future Studies (FFS). With its Baltic beaches, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania was the most popular destination. The Hanseatic cities of Stralsund, Wismar and Rostock, with their Brick Gothic centers, also proved very popular — making the north a favored destination during the hot summer of 2018.

Bavaria dropped to No. 2. On the popularity scale, the southern state has been competing head-to-head with Mecklenburg-West Pomerania for the most popular domestic destination for years. In 2018, the beaches beat the mountains. The fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein is still one of Bavaria's top sights. Even though it is currently being renovated, it remains open to visitors.

Baden-Württemberg saw its first increase in visitors in years in 2018. The Black Forest in particular registered a record numbers of visitors. The amount of overnight stays rose by 2.4 percent to 20.7 million. The Black Forest, Germany's highest and largest low-mountain range, is popular for its evergreen forests, picturesque villages and lively traditions.

In 2018, 54 percent of Germans citizens spent some of their holidays elsewhere in Europe. For those travelers, Spain remained the No. 1 destination. The Balearic Islands — such as Mallorca (pictured here) — were again the most popular destination, combining beach holidays with partying: The islands saw more German leisure travelers than Greece and Turkey combined.

Germans also remained faithful to Italy in 2018, according to the FFS, which is funded by British American Tobacco: Second place on the list of destinations within Europe went to Bella Italia! And Matera, a small town in the south, is expecting its own rush of visitors this year. With its caves, churches and palaces, the city is a European Capital of Culture for 2019.

Germany's neighbor Austria came in third among the top destinations in 2018. Holidaymakers appearted to appreciate Austria's mix of hiking in summer, winter sports in the colder months, lonely alpine pastures, magnificent views, imperial history and Baroque architecture — not to mention the delicious Alpine cuisine.

Turkey offers protected coasts, a turquoise sea and nearly 400 beaches with the infrastructure that travelers expect. In 2018, after years of declining tourist numbers, Turkey experienced a recovery and became the No. 4 international destination for German holidaymakers. Especially well liked is the Turkish Riviera around Antalya.

Northern Europe has become increasingly popular with German holidaymakers. No. 5 on the list of vacation destinations for 2018 went to Scandinavia, with its endless forests and sources of water — from rivers to lakes to coastlines. Scandinavia is the classic destination for nature lovers and is especially popular with campers. There are about 1,500 campsites in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

About one in eight German holidaymakers left Europe for their primary vacation in 2018. Destinations in Asia — such as Vietnam's Halong Bay (pictured) — were their preferred choice of travelers seeking beautiful landscapes with unblemished nature. Clean air and beaches are particularly important for older travelers.

From New York to San Francisco and Niagara Falls to the Grand Canyon, the United States was a close second to Asia for destinations outside of Europe. Almost 3 percent of German tourists went across the pond for their vacations in 2018.