Throughout Europe are some of the most beautiful places in the world. Many of them are perfect to visit for travel photography and getting those Instagram shots. In this post you’ll find top suggestions of places that have an abundance of good spots to take photographs.
You may also like our page Instagram and Photography Guides, where you’ll find some of the best locations for taking pictures of lots of destinations across Europe and beyond.
Here are the best places in Europe for travel photography and Instagram.
Colmar, France
One of the prettiest places in France, Colmar is in the Alsace region in the east of the country. The most famous area is near the river and is full of wonderful timber-framed buildings and colourful facades. It also has a special area called La Petite Venise which is particularly nice to see and photograph.
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn is one of those destinations that is great to visit and photograph at any time of year. A city that has beautiful snow-covered rooftops in the winter, and colourful vibrant colours in the autumn. In Tallinn are lots of viewpoints around the city that give you those perfect angles, as well as landmarks, cobbled streets and cute architecture.
Copenhagen, Denmark
The most beautiful area in Copenhagen is the Nyhavn, which is a wonderful harbour area with picturesque buildings and boats on the banks. The city also has lots of other fantastic Instagrammable spots throughout the city worth visiting. From the State Rooms in the Christiansborg Palace to gazing out at the city from the Church of our Saviour, as well as parks, beautiful streets and architecture.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is a destination which makes it very difficult to put your camera away. Throughout the Centrum area are tons of interlocking canals weaving throughout the city, and lining all the banks are beautiful and quirky architecture. If you are visiting for photography we recommend heading out early morning for potential colours and perfect reflections, as well as at night around the blue hour.
Prague, Czech Republic
One of our favourite cities in Europe, Prague is a joy to visit and photograph. Throughout the city are amazing opportunities to get your snaps. Such as the fantastic medieval Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Within the centre is a beautiful cobbled Old Town as well as various viewpoints. Prague is one of those destinations you’ll find yourself filling up all your memory cards, and we recommend putting this city towards the top of your list.
London, UK
From classic double-decker buses, red telephone booths, impressive landmarks, awesome viewpoints and endless photo opportunities, London is a top location for travel photographers. The city is great to explore at any time of day, although at sunset it’s even more fantastic when many of the city’s landmarks get lit up. A few highlights in the city for Instagrammable shots include Tower Bridge, The Shard and Westminster.
Vienna, Austria
Vienna is a charming city, with rich and perfect architecture providing great subjects for taking pictures. The city has grand palaces such as the Schönbrunn Palace and Belvedere Palace, the very impressive Rathaus, elegant interiors in cafes and hotels (such as the Hotel Imperial Vienna) and other cute elements such as trams and Fiakers around the city.
Ghent, Belgium
Ghent is a very popular destination to post on Instagram. It is a smallish city with a medieval centre, wonderful churches, ancient architecture and a beautiful river running through it. For viewpoints, you can head up the Het Belfort van Gent, and for pretty shots go along the Korenlei and Graslei at night.
Venice, Italy
Incredibly romantic and unique, Venice is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world! With no cars, just canals, gondolas, old architecture and narrow streets. Also nearby is the Island of Burano which is almost like a place from a cartoon, and one of the most colourful places in the world.
Bled, Slovenia
Lake Bled is a beautiful destination to visit in Slovenia. The most famous element is the church on an island in the middle of the lake. Around the outskirts, as well as from some high perspectives, you get picturesque views over the lake. This destination is wonderful to visit all year round. Often with snow in the winter, colours in the autumn, and wonderful greens in the summer and spring.
A spot highly recommended is Vintgar Gorge which is around 4km from Lake Bled.
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest has one of the most beautiful parliament buildings in the world. It’s incredibly striking and makes for one of the top photo spots in Europe. One of the best places to take Instagram photographs of the parliament is from the opposite side of the River Danube. Also in Budapest, you’ll find the magnificent Chain Bridge, Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion. After visiting this city you will for sure leave with lots of awesome pictures to share with your followers on Instagram.
Paris, France
Paris is a dream for photographers and has an abundance of good spots around the city. You’ll get to enjoy fantastic landmarks, beautiful streets and passageways. With such a diverse range of photo spots, the city is great to take pictures at any time of day, and during any season. Visit in the spring for wonderful flowers that you could use to frame pictures of the Eiffel Tower or the winter for more gloomy pictures, earlier sunsets and if you’re lucky, snow.
Lisbon, Portugal
A delight for Instagrammers and photographers, Lisbon has a whole host of photography opportunities. Throughout the city you’ll find stunning tiled facades, wonderful (and free) viewpoints, as well as impressive landmarks. As well as this not far from Lisbon is Sintra, which has its own share of beautiful places for pictures including Pena Palace.
Barcelona, Spain
For some of the most fantastic and picturesque architecture in Europe then head to Barcelona. Throughout the city you’ll find architecture designed by Gaudí which has highly creative designs. A few highlights of the city include the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló and Park Güell.
Other suggestions
Below are some other beautiful destinations that make for great travel photography. Click on the links below to see a picture of the destination on Instagram.
- Cinque Terre, Italy
- Strasbourg, France
- Santorini, Greece
- Amalfi Coast, Italy
- Mykonos, Greece
Photography tips for beautiful destinations
Here are some general photography tips for taking travel pictures at these destinations.
- Head out early to capture streets and landmarks when no one is around.
- Try and get reflections water when possible. This is also easiest in the morning before boats haven’t disturbed the water.
- Use a tripod and take photographs at night for a different perspective.
- When taking pictures of colourful destinations, consider adding a bit of extra saturation to really bring out the colours.
- For key photo spots consider looking at local photographers on Instagram.
Summary
These are some of the best places in Europe to visit and capture great photographs. It’s worth noting that Europe has countless places where you’ll be able to take beautiful places, from colourful cities to majestic landscapes. These are just some of our favourites which we hope that you visit and enjoy.
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For more photography tips head to:
Ultimate photography tips
How to Quickly Enhance your Travel Photos in Lightroom
How to Take Great Instagram Pictures
