Your winners: These are the best holiday resorts 2015

All the votes have been counted right in time for the start of the International Tourism Exchange in Berlin (ITB). You, dear holidaymakers, have made a decision and selected Meersburg, Rockanje, Lido degli Estensi, Jávea and Rovinj as the best holiday resorts 2015!

Regular customers and readers will know that the award for the best holiday resort is a real public accolade – as the reviews of the resorts in the five most popular travel destinations submitted to atraveo in the previous year form the basis of this award. In addition to reviewing the accommodation, holidaymakers can also rate the resort that they’ve visited on a scale of one (not recommended) to five (highly recommended). We then work out by holiday destination which place has the best average rating from all the reviews submitted in the previous year.

And here are this year's winners in brief:

Meersburg (average 4.65 out of 5 possible points) was a little surprise as the best German holiday resort, as the award is therefore going to Lake Constance for the first time. Splendid old castle buildings, idyllic streets in the historic quarter as well as a beautifully laid-out promenade directly on the lakeshore await holidaymakers in this idyllic little town. The fact that holidaymakers really like it here can also be seen from the comments that were submitted along with the reviews of the area:

"A very nice place with an impressive and beautiful historic quarter."

"The only thing I can say about Meersburg is that, in my view, this town is one of the most beautiful in Germany."

Larger and smaller towns along the coast, which offer good entertainment and provision options to holidaymakers in one of the nearby holiday parks, are typical of the Netherlands. Rockanje (4:55 points) seems to achieve precisely this with full marks. The location in South Holland is also almost ideal as it enables you to take trips to nearby Zeeland as well as to Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam. Customer comments about Rockanje:

"Rockanje itself is small, very beautiful, cyclist-friendly, good shopping possibilities. Market on Friday. Many excursion destinations nearby."

"Rockanje is nice and quiet, and close to Rotterdam. Amsterdam can also be reached in barely an hour by car."

After several awards had been presented to the Italian lakes, it was actually high time that a bathing resort on Italy’s popular Adriatic coast secured the trophy as the best Italian resort. Lido degli Estensi (4.52 points) forms part of the Lidi Ferraresi, a consortium of seven bathing resorts on the coast of Emilia Romagna. Holiday guests mostly spend their vacations here in an apartment near the beach or in one of the typical holiday parks, located in shady pine forests. In addition to the beach, holidaymakers especially appreciate Lido degli Estensi for its many leisure activities on offer, the good location for obtaining supplies, and the evening entertainment possibilities:

"Vibrant place - especially in the evenings - with nice cafes and restaurants, many shopping possibilities and a very nice sandy beach."

"The shopping street in the town is super. You can enjoy walking around, here and there get a little something to eat or conveniently dine out at a variety of prices, and try ice-creams in all sorts of flavours."

Jávea (4.5 points) - or Xàbia as the Valencian-speaking inhabitants call it - lies in an elongated bay on the Costa Blanca. In addition to the historic quarter, which is well worth seeing, it has a beautiful yacht harbour with excellent gastronomic options and numerous opportunities available for sports and leisure activities. Of course, the beaches, above all, form the focus of the holidaymakers’ interest during a vacation in Jávea. The sandy beach of Arenal with its vibrant beach promenade, which extends in a semicircle south of the historic quarter, is particularly popular. Those who, in contrast, prefer things to be a bit quieter, will be in good hands at the small bays south of Cabo la Nao. The qualities of Jávea as an ideal (bathing) holiday resort on the Costa Blanca are displayed to very good effect in the customer reviews:

"Jávea is an all-rounder. There’s something for everyone - swimming, shopping or eating delicious food. It’ll give you a feeling of wellbeing and the beach is very clean. Excursion or sports possibilities are also in the immediate vicinity. We will be back."

"Jávea has everything you need and the beach promenade with its shops and restaurants is especially nice. There are all kinds of things to discover in the surrounding area."

Following on from Split last year, you have chosen a true visual treat as the best Croatian holiday resort once again: The picturesque historic quarter of Rovinj (also the overall leader among all five winners with a total of 4.67 points) is located on the hill of a small peninsula, projecting into the Adriatic. Rovinj’s origins can be traced back to the 2nd century, when the Romans established a settlement here. Architectural monuments from various eras have made this small town on the west coast of Istria a historical kaleidoscope that enchants its guests. But, of course, it is not only the cultural suitability of the travel destination that is at the forefront of a holiday in the Croatian Adriatic. The numerous beaches in the area ensure that holidaymakers will have a feeling of wellbeing in Rovinj. At the same time, the beauty of the place is a recurring motif in the submitted customer reviews:

"Rovinj is marvellous. For us, it’s the most beautiful holiday resort that we’ve ever visited. There are wonderful little streets in the historic quarter, which invite you to wander around."

"The town is beautiful and multi-faceted. A long beach with some easily accessible bays. Plenty of shade everywhere up to the water. The most beautiful place in Croatia that we have ever seen. We will definitely take another holiday here."

At this point, we’d like to say many congratulations to all the winners once again, and we hope we can find the opportunity to be able to officially present you with the award in the near future.

Germany
1. Meersburg (Lake Constance, 4.65 points)
2. Dresden (Saxony, 4.61 points)
3. Scharbeutz (Bay of Lübeck, 4.57 points)

The Netherlands
1. Rockanje (South Holland, 4.55 points)
2. Rijnsburg (South Holland, 4.36 points)
3. Makkum (North Holland, 4.3 points)

Italy
1. Lido degli Estensi (Adriatic coast, 4.52 points)
2. Bezzecca (Lago di Ledro, 4.51 points)
3. Riva del Garda (Lake Garda, 4.46 points, Award Winner 2011)

Spain
1. Jávea (Costa Blanca, 4.5 points)
2. Port de Pollença (Majorca, 4.48 points)
3. Can Picafort (Majorca, 4.44 points)

Croatia
1. Rovinj (Istria, 4.67 points)
2. Krk (Island of Krk, 4.66 points)
3. Novigrad (Istria, 4.56 points)

Deutschland
2014 Warnemünde (Baltic Sea coast)
2013 Berchtesgaden (Bavaria)
2012 Binz (Rügen)
2011 Zingst (Fischland-Darß-Zingst)
2010 Zingst (Fischland-Darß-Zingst)

Niederlande
2014 Enkhuizen (North Holland)
2013 Egmond aan Zee (North Holland)
2012 Julianadorp (North Holland)
2011 Volendam (North Holland)

Italien
2014 Malcesine (Lake Garda)
2013 Bellagio (Lake Como)
2012 Venice (Adriatic coast of Italy)
2011 Riva del Garda (Lake Garda)

Spanien
2014 Moraira (Costa Blanca)

Kroatien
2014 Split (Dalmatia)