Have you ever visited Füssen, Rothenburg ob der Tauber or Winterberg? If not, you should definitely go to these small German towns, especially if you like taking pictures. Because according to an analysis of hashtags on Instagram, these places are the most popular towns on this photo social network in 2021.
Travelcircus, the short trip booking platform, has selected the most photogenic towns and communities on the islands for the fifth time. For this purpose, the number of hashtags on Instagram of more than a thousand towns was compared. For the purposes of the analysis, any municipality with a population of at least 5,000 and no more than 20,000 was considered a small town.
These small cities take the top spots in the ranking:
1. Füssen (Bavaria).
Fantastic panoramic views of the Alps, a beautiful old town and the eye-catching Neuschwanstein Castle: Füssen in Bavaria has a lot to offer. Instagram users appreciate this and enjoy snapping photos. As in previous years, this small Bavarian town took the top spot in the ranking. A total of 266,898 photos on Instagram are tagged with the hashtag Füssen. And even if we only look at the period from 2020 to 2021, more photos were taken here than in all other towns (+ 40,815).
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Hashtags on Instagram: 266,898
Number of residents: approx. 15.300
2. Winterberg (North Rhine-Westphalia)
The name says it all about this town in North Rhine-Westphalia: it’s a winter sports paradise. Among the 241,106 photos with the hashtag Winterberg, you can find snaps showing skiers and snowboarders, slopes and lifts. But there are also plenty of nature photos. And that’s because when the weather is warmer, many tourists come to this small town in the Sauerland region to hike – and photograph nature in the process. The number of posts increased from 202,489 in 2020 to 241,106 this year.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 241.106
Population: about. 12.800
3. Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Bavaria)
Like last year, Rothenburg ob der Tauber is ranked 3rd. This small town in central Franconia impresses above all with its historic old town. The local half-timbered houses and narrow streets are a frequent subject of photos posted on Instagram. Many photos also show Plönlein, the small square by the fountain that is the symbol of the city.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 158,380
Count of residents: about 11,100
4. Kühlungsborn (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Definitely more hashtags than inhabitants: Kühlungsborn was once again ranked 4th on Instagram. Thus, the small town was voted the most photogenic on the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg. Sunsets over the sea are one of the favorite photo subjects. Last year, almost 20,000 photos were tagged with the name of this tiny town.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 141,178
Count of residents: about. 7.900
5. Heiligenhafen (Schleswig-Holstein)
Heiligenhafen has risen from 6th to 5th place. This city also lies on the Baltic Sea, but in Schleswig-Holstein. Tourists are enchanted by the harbor town atmosphere, beaches and sea. Last year, the number of photos tagged with the hashtag #heiligenhafen exceeded the 100,000 threshold. This year, some 23,000 more photos have been added.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 133,422
Count of residents: about. 9.200
6. Cochem (Rhineland-Palatinate)
Cochem has dropped one position in the ranking. In this sleepy little town on the Moselle River, tourists often photograph the narrow streets and beautiful half-timbered houses. Even more popular is the Reichsburg Castle towering over the Moselle valley. Almost every second photo on Instagram with the hashtag #cochem shows this city landmark.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 130,207
Count of residents: about. 5.400
7. Meersburg (Baden-Württemberg)
Lake Constance, an old castle, natural monuments and museums – among other photographic themes, Meersburg owes more than 100,000 photos on Instagram with the hashtag #meersburg. Last year, the number was just under 90,000.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 106,733
Count of residents: about. 5.800
8. Kronach (Bavaria)
Kronach is already close to crossing the 100,000 hashtag mark on Instagram. This romantic town located in Upper Franconia delights visitors with its medieval center with the Bamberger Tor gate and the Rosenberg fortress, which is one of the best preserved fortifications in Germany.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 98,003
Count of residents: about. 16.800
9. Monschau (North Rhine-Westphalia)
The half-timbered houses on the narrow streets on the banks of the River Rur create a romantic atmosphere in Monschau. This has not escaped the attention of Instagram users. The social network features 97,074 photos with this hashtag, making Monschau the 9th most photogenic small town located in Germany.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 97,074
Count of residents: about. 12.400
10. Borken (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Borken in the Münsterland region of North Rhine-Westphalia has made the top ten most beautiful towns on Instagram for the first time. This year there were 32,386 new posts with the hashtag #borken. This is more new photos than the third-place town Rothenburg ob der Tauber. In addition to nature, the Gemen Castle in the district of the same name is a popular subject of the photos.
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Hashtags on Instagram: 90,727
Population: about. 42.700
A particularly large increase in the number of photos can be seen for towns such as Großräschen, Neustadt an der Waldnaab and Vohburg. Großräschen in Brandenburg achieved an increase of more than 880 percent: in 2020, this small town had only 521 posts on Instagram – this year there are already more than 5,000. For the other two towns, the increase is 192 and 170 percent respectively.
The three most photogenic island municipalities in Germany
The most beautiful island municipalities are also selected each year. In 2021, the ranking is as follows:
1. Fehmarn
Fehmarn and Norderney battle it out every year for first place in the ranking of small towns on the islands. This year, Fehmarn has once again come out on top. It has 299,071 hashtags. The favorite subject of the photos is of course the white sandy beaches and the sea.
2nd Norderney
With 283,492 hashtags, Norderney is ahead of the town of Füssen – but that amount is only enough to take second place among the most photogenic islands. This year, users have added almost 40,000 new photos – most often depicting the Wadden Sea, the beach or the dunes.
3. Borkum
Third place once again went to Borkum. There are currently 160,119 posts on Instagram bearing a hashtag with the island’s name. Most of the photos show the beach and the sea or vegetation on the island.