A new study reveals that London is the most ‘Instagrammable European capital’, with the greatest number of Instagram hashtags recorded on the popular photographic app from Meta.
Although Paris ranks second in hashtags with 145 million, it leads in annual visitors, attracting 50 million people. In addition, Madrid, Spain, has the highest average number of sunny hours per year, at 2769, but it has more than five times fewer average annual visitors than the UK.
This is based on a review by Heepsy, who analysed 43 European capitals to find the 10 most Instagrammable ones based on their popularity on Instagram.
Key factors considered included the number of Instagram hashtags, average annual visitors, average sunny hours per year, and the most Instagrammable spots within each city. The cities were ranked solely by their total hashtag count, while other factors provided context and insights into their popularity. This approach highlighted which European capitals offer the most Instagram-worthy experiences for travellers.
The outcome is:
Country | Capital | Instagram Hashtags | Annual Visitors | Sunny Hours/Year |
United Kingdom | London | 167,050,705 | 30,000,000 | 1,633 |
France | Paris | 145,133,568 | 50,000,000 | 1,662 |
Russia | Moscow | 56,150,266 | 24,000,000 | 1,901 |
Germany | Berlin | 54,887,347 | 12,080,000 | 1,626 |
Spain | Madrid | 51,178,410 | 5,810,000 | 2,769 |
Netherlands | Amsterdam | 36,943,770 | 8,800,000 | 1,662 |
Switzerland | Bern | 31,557,717 | 478,000 | 1,887 |
Italy | Rome | 30,662,820 | 38,000,000 | 2,473 |
Czech Republic (Czechia) | Prague | 19,167,599 | 7,000,000 | 1,668 |
Austria | Vienna | 16,919,806 | 4,500,000 | 2,048 |
London has the highest number of Instagram hashtags at over 167 million. The UK capital has 30 million annual visitors. Paris is not far behind, holding the second spot with 145 million hashtags. Its most popular spot is the Eiffel Tower.
Moscow ranks third, with 56 million hashtags. Despite having fewer visitors than London and Paris (24 million annually), Moscow offers plenty of photo opportunities. Berlin, takes fourth place, featuring over 54 million hashtags. Despite fewer visitors than Moscow (12 million annually), Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate (#brandenburgertor) continues to be a significant Instagram hotspot.
Madrid, Spain, secures fifth place with 51 million hashtags. While it has one of the lowest annual visitor counts at 5.8 million, Madrid offers the most sunshine among all the capitals, with 2,769 sunny hours per year. Amsterdam ranks sixth, amassing nearly 37 million hashtags.
Bern is in seventh place, with 31 million hashtags. Though it’s smaller with just 478,000 annual visitors, the Chapel Bridge is a widely photographed spot. Rome ranks eighth with 30 million hashtags. It is one of the most visited cities on the list, with 38 million annual visitors.
Prague is in ninth place, with over 19 million hashtags and Vienna rounds out the top ten, with nearly 17 million hashtags.