People are on the hunt for Europe’s most festive Christmas markets, with global Google searches for the ‘Innsbruck Christmas market’ increasing by 77% compared to last month. In addition, new research conducted by the fashion retailer FatFace has revealed that Innsbruck and Tallinn are Europe’s most festive Christmas markets.
The study, conducted by fashion retailer FatFace has revealed the most festive European Christmas markets by analysing the probability of snow during November and December, the average number of snow days, how many Instagram hashtags each market has, how many estimated visitors and the flight demand change over this period.
Open Meteo was used to source the weather data and using the above metrics, a weighted rank was created to give each market an overall festivity score out of 100.
** Figures are an estimation
Set against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, Innsbruck in Austria is in first place as the most festive market. This picturesque city received a festivity score of 95 out of 100 based on a 46% chance of snow, equating to 13.7 snow days per month, 1,000 Instagram hashtags, and 600,000 estimated visitors during November and December, which is an increase of 19% compared to the rest of the year.
Tallinn in Estonia is in second place with a total score of 89 out of 100. The market which is based in the capital city has a 40% chance of snow, which equates to 12 snows per month, 5,000 Instagram hashtags, and a flight demand increase of 28%.
In third place is Helsinki in Finland which is closer to Lapland than any other city in the top 10. This Christmas market has a 39% chance of snow per day, meaning its likely to expect 11.6 days of snow per month, it has 300,000 visitors a year and 1,000 Instagram hashtags.
Other honourable mentions that make up the top 10 are the Riga market in Latvia, the Oslo market in Norway, and Merano’s Christmas market in Italy.
The top 10 most Instagrammable Christmas markets in Europe:
For many, a trip to one of Europe’s Christmas markets isn’t complete without capturing the magic in the perfect photo. So, to help holidaymakers get the perfect snap, the study ranked the most Instagram-worthy markets based on how many hashtags each one has.
Edinburgh’s Christmas market is officially the most Instagram-worthy, with the Scottish capital boasting 55,200 hashtags.
Strasbourg in France takes second place with 34,400 hashtags, while Vienna follows shortly behind in third place with 22,500 hashtags.
The study also found that UK searches for ‘Christmas markets’ have increased by 359% compared to last quarter, with 57,000 searches in the past month alone. Pinterest searches for ‘Christmas market outfit’ have also been rising, up 100% compared to last month, which is 8% higher than last year.
So, to help those who are struggling for outfit inspiration, Jo Collins, head of womenswear design at FatFace, has shared her eight winter break outfit essentials.
She advises, “Depending on which European Christmas market you’re visiting, weather conditions can vary from unpredictable milder weather to extremely cold, meaning packing for every eventuality is essential.
“Pack waterproof items and travel light by packing versatile pieces. Keep your colour palette neutral so pieces can be mixed and matched across the days you’re away.”
Top 10 essential clothing items to pack:
- Waterproof boots
- Dark denim jeans
- Statement accessories
- A thick coat
- Long-sleeve tops
- Thick socks
- A versatile cardigan
- A maxi skirt
- Cosy gloves
- An all-rounder jumper
The full study on what to pack for a Christmas market can be found here: fatface.com/blog/europes-most-festive-christmas-markets.