diff --git a/CGAL_ImageIO/include/CGAL/Image_3.h b/CGAL_ImageIO/include/CGAL/Image_3.h
index 8ede8eefec5..243f13068ed 100644
--- a/CGAL_ImageIO/include/CGAL/Image_3.h
+++ b/CGAL_ImageIO/include/CGAL/Image_3.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <limits>
 #include <set>
 #include <cstdlib>
+#include <string>
 
 #if defined(BOOST_MSVC)
 #  pragma warning(push)
@@ -164,6 +165,11 @@ public:
     return private_read(::_readImage(file));
   }
 
+  bool read(const std::string& file)
+  {
+    return read(file.c_str());
+  }
+
   bool read_raw(const char* file,
                 const unsigned int rx,
                 const unsigned int ry,
diff --git a/CGAL_ImageIO/test/CGAL_ImageIO/test_trilinear_interpolation.cpp b/CGAL_ImageIO/test/CGAL_ImageIO/test_trilinear_interpolation.cpp
index a3789dc632d..f4bdb80a1cb 100644
--- a/CGAL_ImageIO/test/CGAL_ImageIO/test_trilinear_interpolation.cpp
+++ b/CGAL_ImageIO/test/CGAL_ImageIO/test_trilinear_interpolation.cpp
@@ -191,28 +191,12 @@ int main() {
   image.set_data(nullptr); // trick to avoid ~Image_3 segfault.
 
 
-  const char* filenames[] = {
-    "data/skull_2.9.inr",
-    "../../examples/Surface_mesher/data/skull_2.9.inr",
-    "../../../Surface_mesher/examples/Surface_mesher/data/skull_2.9.inr",
-    "../Surface_mesher_Examples/data/skull_2.9.inr"
-  };
+  const std::string filename = CGAL::data_file_path("images/skull_2.9.inr");
 
-  std::size_t file_index = 0;
-  for(   ; file_index < sizeof(filenames); ++file_index)
-  {
-    std::ifstream image_file(filenames[file_index], std::ios_base::binary | std::ios_base::in );
-    if(image_file) {
-      break;
-    }
-  }
-
-  assert(file_index < sizeof(filenames) );
-
-  std::cerr << "Opening file " << filenames[file_index] << "...\n";
+  std::cerr << "Opening file " << filename << "...\n";
 
   CGAL::Image_3 image2;
-  const bool result = image2.read(filenames[file_index]);
+  const bool result = image2.read(filename);
   assert(result);
 
   std::cerr << "Image info:"
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/12323.inr b/Data/data/images/12323.inr
similarity index 100%
rename from Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/12323.inr
rename to Data/data/images/12323.inr
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/20012323.inr b/Data/data/images/20012323.inr
similarity index 100%
rename from Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/20012323.inr
rename to Data/data/images/20012323.inr
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/40420.inr b/Data/data/images/40420.inr
similarity index 100%
rename from Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/40420.inr
rename to Data/data/images/40420.inr
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/420.inr b/Data/data/images/420.inr
similarity index 100%
rename from Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/420.inr
rename to Data/data/images/420.inr
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/420.polylines.txt b/Data/data/images/420.polylines.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/420.polylines.txt
rename to Data/data/images/420.polylines.txt
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/liver.inr.gz b/Data/data/images/liver.inr.gz
similarity index 100%
rename from Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/liver.inr.gz
rename to Data/data/images/liver.inr.gz
diff --git a/CGAL_ImageIO/test/CGAL_ImageIO/data/skull_2.9.inr b/Data/data/images/skull_2.9.inr
similarity index 100%
rename from CGAL_ImageIO/test/CGAL_ImageIO/data/skull_2.9.inr
rename to Data/data/images/skull_2.9.inr
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/small-scalar.inr b/Data/data/images/small-scalar.inr
similarity index 100%
rename from Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/small-scalar.inr
rename to Data/data/images/small-scalar.inr
diff --git a/Documentation/doc/Documentation/CGAL/config.h b/Documentation/doc/Documentation/CGAL/config.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8c45f77d309
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/doc/Documentation/CGAL/config.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+namespace CGAL{
+/// returns the full path of a data file from \cgal.
+/// The data files are located in the `data` directory of a \cgal release
+/// or in the directory `Data/data` from a git branch checkout.
+/// That function uses as prefix the environment variable `CGAL_DATA_DIR` if set, and
+/// the value of the macro `CGAL_DATA_DIR` otherwise.
+/// When using `cmake` and a standard \cgal setup, linking the target using that function
+/// with the target `CGAL::Data` will automatically set the macro `CGAL_DATA_DIR`
+///  pointing to the data directory of the \cgal version used.
+/// The function will attempt to open the file at the returned location
+/// and will print a warning message via `std::cerr` if the file could not be opened.
+std::string data_file_path(const std::string& filename);
+}
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/skull_2.9.inr b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/skull_2.9.inr
deleted file mode 100644
index d8dc23e59d9..00000000000
Binary files a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/data/skull_2.9.inr and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image.cpp b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image.cpp
index 222fe1cf4c3..40dddc6a1a9 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ using namespace CGAL::parameters;
 
 int main(int argc, char*argv[])
 {
-  const char* fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:"data/skull_2.9.inr";
+  const std::string fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:CGAL::data_file_path("images/skull_2.9.inr");
   // Load image
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if(!image.read(fname)){
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image_multiple_values.cpp b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image_multiple_values.cpp
index bd75587d29d..3ead928edf7 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image_multiple_values.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image_multiple_values.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ struct Image_to_multiple_iso_level_sets {
 
 int main(int argc, char*argv[])
 {
-  const char* fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:"data/skull_2.9.inr";
+  const std::string fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:CGAL::data_file_path("images/skull_2.9.inr");
   // Load image
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if(!image.read(fname)){
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image_with_custom_initialization.cpp b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image_with_custom_initialization.cpp
index 533637a3f75..86edd7f2e78 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image_with_custom_initialization.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_gray_image_with_custom_initialization.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ using namespace CGAL::parameters;
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
-  const char* fname = (argc > 1) ? argv[1] : "data/skull_2.9.inr";
+  const std::string fname = (argc > 1) ? argv[1] : CGAL::data_file_path("images/skull_2.9.inr");
   /// [Load image]
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if (!image.read(fname)) {
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image.cpp b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image.cpp
index c7dad626119..d573dde7c96 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ using namespace CGAL::parameters;
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
   /// [Loads image]
-  const char* fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:"data/liver.inr.gz";
+  const std::string fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:CGAL::data_file_path("images/liver.inr.gz");
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if(!image.read(fname)){
     std::cerr << "Error: Cannot read file " <<  fname << std::endl;
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image_variable_size.cpp b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image_variable_size.cpp
index 150a2ac74ec..051f07dba4c 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image_variable_size.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image_variable_size.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ using namespace CGAL::parameters;
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
-  const char* fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:"data/liver.inr.gz";
+  const std::string fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:CGAL::data_file_path("images/liver.inr.gz");
   // Loads image
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if(!image.read(fname)){
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image_with_features.cpp b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image_with_features.cpp
index e2334150529..3f8a0fe362a 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image_with_features.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_3D_image_with_features.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ using namespace CGAL::parameters;
 // not documented.
 bool add_1D_features(const CGAL::Image_3& image,
                      Mesh_domain& domain,
-                     const char* lines_fname)
+                     const std::string lines_fname)
 {
   typedef K::Point_3 Point_3;
   typedef unsigned char Word_type;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ bool add_1D_features(const CGAL::Image_3& image,
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
-  const char* fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:"data/420.inr";
+  const std::string fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:CGAL::data_file_path("images/420.inr");
   // Loads image
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if(!image.read(fname)){
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
   Mesh_domain domain = Mesh_domain::create_labeled_image_mesh_domain(image);
 
   /// Declare 1D-features, see above [Call add_1D_features]
-  const char* lines_fname = (argc>2)?argv[2]:"data/420.polylines.txt";
+  const std::string lines_fname = (argc>2)?argv[2]:CGAL::data_file_path("images/420.polylines.txt");
 
   if(!add_1D_features(image, domain, lines_fname)) {
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_optimization_example.cpp b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_optimization_example.cpp
index 065fcae0d87..9f72d6c276a 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_optimization_example.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_optimization_example.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ using namespace CGAL::parameters;
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
-  const char* fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:"data/liver.inr.gz";
+  const std::string fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:CGAL::data_file_path("images/liver.inr.gz");
   // Domain
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if(!image.read(fname)){
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_optimization_lloyd_example.cpp b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_optimization_lloyd_example.cpp
index 881cd143ad4..e4a6e6a5dcb 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_optimization_lloyd_example.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/mesh_optimization_lloyd_example.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ using namespace CGAL::parameters;
 
 int main(int argc, char*argv[])
 {
-  const char* fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:"data/liver.inr.gz";
+  const std::string fname = (argc>1)?argv[1]:CGAL::data_file_path("images/liver.inr.gz");
   // Domain
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if(!image.read(fname)){
diff --git a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/read_polylines.h b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/read_polylines.h
index 54d1203b2f2..082c1ae4410 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/read_polylines.h
+++ b/Mesh_3/examples/Mesh_3/read_polylines.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include <fstream>
 
 template <typename Point_3>
-bool read_polylines(const char* fname,
+bool read_polylines(const std::string fname,
                     std::vector<std::vector<Point_3> >& polylines)
 {
   std::ifstream ifs(fname);
diff --git a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/data/liver.inr.gz b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/data/liver.inr.gz
deleted file mode 100644
index 9eb7a60fdfe..00000000000
Binary files a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/data/liver.inr.gz and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/data/skull_2.9.inr b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/data/skull_2.9.inr
deleted file mode 100644
index d8dc23e59d9..00000000000
Binary files a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/data/skull_2.9.inr and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_gray_image.cpp b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_gray_image.cpp
index 4b232d42d20..191ea47fafa 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_gray_image.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_gray_image.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public:
     // Data generation
     //-------------------------------------------------------
     Image image;
-    if (!image.read("data/skull_2.9.inr"))
+    if (!image.read(CGAL::data_file_path("images/skull_2.9.inr")))
     {
       std::cout << "Image reading error. Exit test.\n";
       return;
diff --git a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_gray_image_deprecated.cpp b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_gray_image_deprecated.cpp
index 89fa946ff26..b2ba365111f 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_gray_image_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_gray_image_deprecated.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public:
     // Data generation
     //-------------------------------------------------------
     Image image;
-    if (!image.read("data/skull_2.9.inr"))
+    if (!image.read(CGAL::data_file_path("images/skull_2.9.inr")))
     {
       std::cout << "Image reading error. Exit test.\n";
       return;
diff --git a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_image.cpp b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_image.cpp
index 471112ef772..62efe80cde0 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_image.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_image.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public:
     // Data generation
     //-------------------------------------------------------
     Image image;
-    image.read("data/liver.inr.gz");
+    image.read(CGAL::data_file_path("images/liver.inr.gz"));
 
     std::cout << "\tSeed is\t"
       << CGAL::get_default_random().get_seed() << std::endl;
diff --git a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_image_deprecated.cpp b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_image_deprecated.cpp
index ac8e39f21df..ed1a1fbd14b 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_image_deprecated.cpp
+++ b/Mesh_3/test/Mesh_3/test_meshing_3D_image_deprecated.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public:
     // Data generation
     //-------------------------------------------------------
     Image image;
-    image.read("data/liver.inr.gz");
+    image.read(CGAL::data_file_path("images/liver.inr.gz"));
 
     std::cout << "\tSeed is\t"
       << CGAL::get_default_random().get_seed() << std::endl;
diff --git a/Surface_mesher/examples/Surface_mesher/data/skull_2.9.inr b/Surface_mesher/examples/Surface_mesher/data/skull_2.9.inr
deleted file mode 100644
index d8dc23e59d9..00000000000
Binary files a/Surface_mesher/examples/Surface_mesher/data/skull_2.9.inr and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/Surface_mesher/examples/Surface_mesher/mesh_a_3d_gray_image.cpp b/Surface_mesher/examples/Surface_mesher/mesh_a_3d_gray_image.cpp
index 5373cf751cd..00508fc121b 100644
--- a/Surface_mesher/examples/Surface_mesher/mesh_a_3d_gray_image.cpp
+++ b/Surface_mesher/examples/Surface_mesher/mesh_a_3d_gray_image.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ int main() {
   C2t3 c2t3 (tr);   // 2D-complex in 3D-Delaunay triangulation
 
   // the 'function' is a 3D gray level image
-  Gray_level_image image("data/skull_2.9.inr", 2.9f);
+  Gray_level_image image(CGAL::data_file_path("images/skull_2.9.inr"), 2.9f);
 
   // Carefully chosen bounding sphere: the center must be inside the
   // surface defined by 'image' and the radius must be high enough so that
diff --git a/Surface_mesher/include/CGAL/Gray_level_image_3.h b/Surface_mesher/include/CGAL/Gray_level_image_3.h
index 5cf37cd2c28..64c00a06f3f 100644
--- a/Surface_mesher/include/CGAL/Gray_level_image_3.h
+++ b/Surface_mesher/include/CGAL/Gray_level_image_3.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <CGAL/auto_link/ImageIO.h>
 
 #include <memory>
+#include <string>
 
 #ifdef CGAL_SURFACE_MESHER_DEBUG_GRAY_LEVEL_IMAGE_3_CONSTRUCTOR
 #include <boost/format.hpp>
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ public:
   {
   }
 
-  Gray_level_image_3(const char* file, float isoval, bool positive_inside_=true, float value_outside = 0.f)
+  Gray_level_image_3(const std::string& file, float isoval, bool positive_inside_=true, float value_outside = 0.f)
     : Image_3(),
       isovalue(isoval),
       positive_inside(positive_inside_),
diff --git a/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test/Tetrahedral_remeshing/data/liver.inr.gz b/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test/Tetrahedral_remeshing/data/liver.inr.gz
deleted file mode 100644
index 1b711130c11..00000000000
Binary files a/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test/Tetrahedral_remeshing/data/liver.inr.gz and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test_mesh_and_remesh_image.cpp b/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test_mesh_and_remesh_image.cpp
index 890a018d2fb..cf75b94c0a5 100644
--- a/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test_mesh_and_remesh_image.cpp
+++ b/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test/Tetrahedral_remeshing/test_mesh_and_remesh_image.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ using namespace CGAL::parameters;
 
 int main()
 {
-  const char* filename = "data/liver.inr.gz";
+  const std::string filename = CGAL::data_file_path("images/liver.inr.gz");
 
   CGAL::Image_3 image;
   if (!image.read(filename)) {