Innsbruck, Austria Has the Most Festive Christmas Markets in Europe

The Christmas season is in full swing throughout Europe, and there is maybe no higher manner to participate within the festivities than by visiting a Christmas market.

These twinkling, little short-term purchasing facilities are sprinkled all throughout the continent and promote issues like native sweets and pastries, mulled wine, and different native spirits, in addition to enjoyable, handmade trinkets and ornaments. The custom of Christmas markets dates again to the 1200s in Vienna, however now you can discover them in all places from Amsterdam to Budapest.

However when you’re hoping to expertise essentially the most spectacular of all of them, the clothes firm FatFace has a suggestion. In line with a November examine carried out by the model, Innsbruck, Austria, is house to essentially the most festive Christmas markets in Europe.

For its examine, FatFace evaluated each European metropolis with an annual Christmas market and gave every vacation spot a “festivity rating” primarily based on components corresponding to “how Instagram-worthy it’s, the probability of snow, and the elevated demand from vacationers over the festive interval.” In spite of everything was stated and completed, Innsbruck, situated about 5 hours west of Vienna and two hours south of Munich within the Austrian Alps, got here out on high.

“Set towards a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, Innsbruck in Austria takes the highest spot as essentially the most festive market,” FatFace reported. “This picturesque metropolis obtained a festivity rating of 95 out of 100 primarily based on 1,000 Instagram hashtags, 600,000 estimated guests throughout November and December (up 19 p.c in comparison with the remainder of the yr), and a 46 p.c likelihood of a snow day.”

Innsbruck additionally bought the consideration of being the snowiest vacation spot on the checklist — that 46 p.c likelihood equates to 13.7 potential snow days per thirty days, making it extremely probably you will see a flake or two when you do go to. Maybe better of all, Innsbruck has not only one, however a number of Christmas markets, together with some kid-friendly spots. Most will shut up store on Dec. 23, however the Panorama Christmas Market on the close by mountain of Hungerburg ends on Jan. 6, 2025.

Tallinn, Estonia, got here in second place on FatFace’s checklist, because of its every day 40 p.c likelihood of snow, and a 28 p.c flight demand enhance, for a grand, festive complete of 89. The Finnish capital of Helsinki snagged third, with its 300,000 Christmas market guests per yr and 39 p.c likelihood of snowfall.

And since Christmas markets are arguably essentially the most photogenic occasion one can attend in Europe, FatFace naturally created a separate class for essentially the most Insta-worthy locations on the continent. Edinburgh’s Christmas market ranked as essentially the most picture-perfect for the reason that Scottish capital has racked up greater than 55,200 hashtags. Strasbourg, France, follows with 34,400 hashtags, and Vienna cinched third place with 22,500 hashtags.