In our "Favorite German State" competition, we invited you to discover the beauties and characteristics of all 16 German states on a virtual trip through Germany. And asked: Which one is your favorite German state? We have now drawn the winners from all the entries.

The lucky winner of our main prize, a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, is Joan R. from the USA. The two consolation prizes, each a sustainable travel set put together by DW, go to Alejandra C. from Colombia and Javier M. from Spain. All three are absolute fans of Bavaria.

Joan describes her fascination with Bavaria this way: "Wherever you go to Bavaria, it looks like a postcard!" Joan is not alone in her enthusiasm for Germany's southernmost state. The overwhelming majority of our users felt the same way and chose Bavaria as their favorite. This was closely followed by the states of Berlin (2nd place) and Baden-Württemberg (3rd place).

Ever-popular Bavaria

We have identified the top three places from the entries received from our users. Bavaria already topped the rankings in our 2018 and 2019 prize draws, and this state is once again the favorite in 2021. Tradition, culture, nature and Bavarian charm — all these things are associated with Bavaria. It also appeals to our winners.

Javier M. from Spain is intrigued by the mix of "world-class cultural landscape" and nature. And Alejandra C. from Colombia speaks for many when she says: "The region has all the things I love: history and its iconic medieval castles that inspire even Disney; heavenly Caribbean-looking lakes and the high mountains of the Alps that seem magical and surreal to any observer."

Change in 2nd and 3rd places

The German capital rose from 3rd to 2nd place in the favor of our users. It must be the versatility of the city: a metropolis of millions and yet with many green spaces, a party metropolis and yet one of quiet walks and parks. Berlin is always new and different, and that excites people. Berlin's center is currently undergoing a lavish facelift. The latest highlight is the Humboldt Forum. Berlin embodies a sense of history: The entire city with its sights, museums and urban architecture beckons you to take a tour through the centuries.

In the rankings for our 2019 competition, the German capital was still in third place behind North Rhine-Westphalia. The western state, with attractive sights from A like Aachen Cathedral to Z like the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, slipped to fourth place this year. It has been replaced by another southern state: Baden-Württemberg, the new number 3.

Black Forest cake and Bollenhut (a formal headdress with distinctive woolen pompoms) are the hallmarks of a state that, like no other, stands for pleasure and excellence. Many things that come from Baden-Württemberg have achieved world fame: whether cuckoo clocks, Black Forest cake, Mercedes or Porsche. A visit to Baden-Württemberg is a visit to the state of superlatives.

We would like to thank all those who participated in our prize draw. We hope you enjoyed it and wish the winners a lot of fun with their prizes.