It’s official! Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most festive Christmas cities

Grab some pepernoten, draft those letters to Sinterklaas, and pop a bottle of Chocomel because we’re celebrating. Why? Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most festive cities!

Amsterdam, home to what feels like a billion canals and endless rain, has ranked among the top 20 most festive Christmas cities in Europe according to a report by Holidu.

And are we surprised? Nee. 🎅

Christmas markets, hashtags, and google searches

Holidu, a booking portal for holiday rentals, put all the figures together to find out which European city really has the best Christmas vibes.

By gathering data such as the number of Instagram hashtags, Global Search Volume, the number of Christmas markets, as well as how many snow days that city can expect during December, they have compiled an epic list of the 20 best Christmassy cities Europe has to offer.

And, Amsterdam, the embodiment of gezellig — which is perhaps the most Christmassy feeling ever — has ranked at number 18. ❄️

people-ice-skating-outside-the-rijksmuseum
Go ice-skating in Amsterdam to feel those delightful Christmas vibes. Image: Depositphotos

With five jam-packed Christmas markets and three hopeful days of snow, Amsterdam is the city to be for those sparkly fairy lights, festive ice rinks, and steaming cups of hot Chocomel.

Vrolijk kerstfeest! (Merry Christmas!)

Europe’s most festive cities

If you plan on leaving the Netherlands for the festive season, you should at least be aiming for somewhere that offers similar vibes.

The ranking of Europe’s most festive cities has shown us exactly which cities we should add to our holiday getaways. Here are the top five most festive Christmas cities in Europe:

  • 1. Berlin ranked right at the top of this list, with an epic 80 Christmas markets in the city during the festive season. Berlin also has an average eight days of snow during December, so pack those thick winter coats and gloves! 🧤
  • 2. Vienna, the capital of Austria, a country known for its snowy ski slopes, had an average of 5,800 monthly searches about the festive season.
  • 3. Prague, in the Czech Republic, has an expected 10 days of snow in December, making it a brilliant city for bundling up and shopping the markets.
  • 4. Munich landed in at number four on the list, making Germany one of Europe’s most festive countries in Europe.
  • 5. Copenhagen in Denmark ranked at number five. With seven Christmas markets to attend during the season, Copenhagen is another great city for those Christmas vibes.

Germany saw three cities reach the top twenty on the list; Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg. Other major cities were Paris, Milan, and Dublin — the latter lost to Amsterdam by just one.

Where will you be headed for cosy Christmas markets? Tell us in a comment below! 👇

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Heather Slevin
Heather Slevin
Heather is a Dublin native, addicted to catching the Luas, the Irish version of a tram, for one stop, and well used to the constant rain and shine. Seeking to swap one concrete city for another (with a few more canals and a friendlier attitude to cyclists) here she is with the Dutch Review! As a Creative Writing student, she can usually be found sweating over the complicated formatting of her latest poem or deep inside the pages of a book, and loves writing, writing, writing.

1 COMMENT

  1. No it’s not. Thé Dutch are Athéist. Thé worship Sinterklaus not Santa. They célébrités Christmas but not festive as other cities outside of the Netherlands in Europe. HOLLAND IS NOT A REAL CHRISTMAS COUNTRY. DON’T LET CUTE LIGHTS ON ONE SIDE STREET FOOL YOU.

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