Prague ranked Europe's third most festive city for a magical Christmas

A new index from vacation rental website Holidu ranks the most festive destinations in Europe to spend a magical Christmas, and Prague came out in third place. Neighboring capitals Berlin and Vienna finished first and second ahead of Prague, respectively.

The index looked at four primary criteria: each city's number of Christmas markets, its average number of snowy days in December, its number of Instagram hashtags, and its monthly global search volume.

Prague didn't rate higher than fifth in any individual category, but scored high enough in each of them to come out third in the final rankings. The Czech capital has fewer Christmas markets than London, for example, but more average snowfall in December.

Cities in Central Europe and Scandinavia dominated the top ten most festive destinations for Christmas, with Munich coming in fourth, Copenhagen fifth, Stockholm sixth, Salzburg eighth, and Oslo tenth. London ranked seventh in the list, with Paris finishing ninth.

"While having fewer in numbers of Christmas markets, Prague still packs a punch with its searches and Instagram hashtags for the winter season," the Holidu description of the Czech capital reads.

"People are not only drawn to its picturesque cobblestoned streets and festive markets, but also its affordability! Check out some of the main attractions like the magnificent Christmas trees located in both Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. Prague is a must-visit this winter if you are looking to get festive!

Christmas season is officially underway in Prague as of this weekend, as the city's Christmas markets in Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square opened last night with tree lighting ceremonies.

CNN recently rated Prague's Christmas markets among the best in the world to visit this holiday season.

Prague's seasonal fleet of trams decorated with Christmas lights and festive motifs also took off for the first time of the holiday season yesterday evening.

Prague wasn't the only Czech city to make Holidu's top 100 Christmas destinations in Europe. Ostrava came in at 77, scoring the highest marks for its average number of snowy days in December.

These are Holidu's top ten most festive destinations in Europe to spend a magical Christmas: