Hi! Golden hour is still my absolute favourite light for portraits. When the sun sits low, everything turns soft and warm, skin looks retouched, eyes sparkle and the photo simply has soul. After years of shooting weddings, family sessions and commercial portraits all over Czechia and Europe, I’ve put together a table I always keep in my phone: when exactly the golden hour starts and ends across Europe.
The difference between western and eastern Europe is a maximum of ±12 minutes, so this table works from Lisbon to Warsaw, from Berlin to Athens.
Golden Hour Table 2026 – Central Europe (valid for Czechia, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary ±10 min)
| Month | Morning Golden Hour (start → end) | Evening Golden Hour (start → end) | My personal rating for portraits |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:40 – 08:20 | 15:50 – 16:30 | ✗ cold, but incredibly soft light |
| February | 07:10 – 07:50 | 16:30 – 17:10 | ✗ still winter |
| March | 06:30 – 07:10 | 17:50 – 18:30 | ✓ spring is coming |
| April | 05:40 – 06:20 | 18:50 – 19:40 | ★★★ top month |
| May | 04:50 – 05:40 | 19:50 – 20:50 | ★★★ top month |
| June | 04:20 – 05:10 | 20:30 – 21:30 | ★★★ longest evenings |
| July | 04:30 – 05:20 | 20:30 – 21:20 | ★★ still perfect |
| August | 05:00 – 05:50 | 19:40 – 20:30 | ★★★ top month |
| September | 05:50 – 06:40 | 18:20 – 19:10 | ★★★ top + autumn colours |
| October | 06:40 – 07:20 | 17:00 – 17:50 | ★★ beautiful autumn light |
| November | 07:10 – 07:50 | 15:50 – 16:30 | ✗ short days |
| December | 07:40 – 08:20 | 15:40 – 16:10 | ✗ dark early, but gorgeous light |
My 5 golden rules to get the most out of it
- Arrive 15 minutes before – the light changes every minute.
- Always shoot towards the sun – warm skin, catchlights in the eyes, glowing hair.
- Right after golden hour comes blue hour (10 minutes after sunset) – deep blue sky = stunning contrast.
- In summer evening >> morning – people are more relaxed and it’s warmer.
- In winter prefer morning – it gets dark at 4 pm.
My favourite golden hour locations (open to everyone)
- Czechia – Teplice The Chateau Garden, Prague Letná parks, Krkonoše meadows
- Germany – Dresden Elbe banks, Berlin Tempelhofer Feld
- Austria – Vienna Prater at sunset
- Italy – Tuscany hills (Val d’Orcia)
If you want, I’ll happily send you GPS coordinates of my top 10 spots across Europe.
What about you? Do you prefer morning or evening golden hour? Do you have a favourite location? Drop it in the comments – maybe we’ll meet there one day!
Tom Troler STUDIO – available across Europe, December 2025
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