Britons rank their top 25 quirky cultural experiences in and around Europe – and the winner is France’s Festival of the Giant Omelette, whipped up with 1,500 eggs
- The giant omelette, made in Bessieres, France, is enough to feed 2,000 people
- Goat yoga and a brewery-turned spa that lets you soak in beer also make the list
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The top 25 quirky cultural experiences in and around Europe have been ranked – and it’s the Festival of the Giant Omelette in France that’s No.1.
The event, which takes place in the town of Bessieres and features an omelette big enough to feed 2,000 people, tops a new ‘bucket list’ of lesser-known, must-see-and-do experiences that can be found across the continent, drawn up from a survey of British holidaymakers.
Garnering 43 per cent of the vote, the Easter event celebrates the legend that Napoleon’s army once feasted on an omelette in the village where crowds now gather to watch a giant 1,500-egg omelette being made.
In second place is the Sedlec Ossuary in Prague, Czech Republic (41 per cent), a 1,000-year-old church decorated with more than 40,000 human bones, followed by Austria’s Starkenberger Beer Pools in third (40 per cent), a brewery-turned-spa that will let you soak in warm beer.
Completing the top five is a scenic bob-sledding track in Prague (fourth, 37 per cent) and a charity zombie walk through the streets of Stockholm, Sweden (fifth, 34 per cent).
The top 25 quirky cultural experiences in and around Europe have been ranked – and it’s the Festival of the Giant Omelette in France that’s No.1
In second place is the Sedlec Ossuary in Prague, Czech Republic, a 1,000-year-old church decorated with more than 40,000 human bones
Ranking third is Austria’s Starkenberger Beer Pools, a brewery-turned-spa that will let you soak in warm beer
In fourth place is bob-sleighing around a scenic track in Prague (37 per cent)
The new bucket list was compiled by easyJet alongside top travel experts and ranked by 2,000 British holidaymakers.
Those looking to start their bucket list a little closer to home could try being a spectator at the UK’s centuries-old cheese-chasing competition in Gloucester (joint seventh, 31 per cent) – where cheeses are chased down a very steep hill – or Shetland’s little-known-to-tourists Up Helly Aa, a Viking festival that culminates in the burning of a Viking ship (13th place, 21 per cent).
Britons also seem to enjoy film-related attractions such as the museum entirely dedicated to David Hasselhoff in Berlin, Germany, and Tunisia’s leftover Star Wars sets from the original 1977 film set in Tozeur.
They both ranked joint sixth (32 per cent) along with the ‘La Raima’ grape fight in Pobla del Duc, Spain, which takes place with 90 tonnes of ‘ammo’ available.
For a unique foodie experience, Iceland’s Viking Sushi adventure sees travellers go out on a fishing boat and eat what the nets bring in, raw (16th, 17 per cent).
The top-ranked UK attraction is Gloucestershire’s Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling, a centuries-old event where cheeses are raced down a steep hill
A charity zombie walk through Stockholm, Sweden, completes the top five
While Finland’s Air Guitar Championship in Oulu (joint seventh, 31 per cent) invites participants to put their air guitar skills to the test in an event that promotes world peace through music.
In joint 12th position (23 per cent) is Finland’s ‘Wife Carrying Championship’, where men carry their wives through an obstacle course, and Greece’s ‘Rouketopolemos’, a firework fight over a ravine.
Other quirky events in the list include Sweden’s ceremonial releasing of the cows (eighth, 29 per cent), goat yoga in the Netherlands (joint 15th, 18 per cent) and football matches from the Middle Ages (18th, 14 per cent) in Florence, Italy.
The poll also revealed that 89 per cent of travellers say they’re looking for more adventurous and experiential holidays post-pandemic.
Three quarters (76 per cent) say they’re now more fearless when it comes to travel and more than a quarter (28 per cent) of 65-and-overs say the most important thing on holiday is having something quirky to do.
BRITONS’ TOP 25 QUIRKY CULTURAL BUCKET LIST EXPERIENCES
1. Festival of the Giant Omelette (Bessieres, France): An Easter celebration featuring an omelette big enough to feed 2,000 people (43 per cent)
2. Sedlec Ossuary (Kutna Hora, Czechia): A 1000-plus-year-old church, decorated with human bones (41 per cent)
3. Starkenberger Beer Pools (Tarrenz, Austria): A brewery-turned-spa that will let you soak in warm beer (40 per cent)
4. Bob Sledding track (Prague, Czechia): A 1km (0.6 mile) -long bob sledding track that can be enjoyed year-round (37 per cent)
5. Stockholm Zombie Walk (Stockholm, Sweden): Each year, zombies flood the streets of Stockholm to raise money for charity (34 per cent)
6 = David Hasselhoff Museum (Berlin, Germany): A Museum in Berlin that’s dedicated to all things David Hasselhoff (32 per cent)
6 = Leftover Star Wars Sets (Tozeur, Tunisia): The preserved sci-fi city of Tatooine from the original 1977 film set (32 per cent)
6 = La Raima (Pobla del Duc, Spain): AKA ‘The Battle of the Grapes’, this is a grape fight with 90 tonnes of ammo (32 per cent)
7 = Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling (Gloucestershire, UK): A centuries-old race in Gloucestershire that sees participants race a wheel of cheese down a very steep hill (31 per cent)
7 = Air Guitar Championships (Oulu, Finland): Founded in 1996, and aiming to promote world peace through music, participants put their air guitar skills to the test (31 per cent)
8. Koslapp (Nationwide, Sweden): This annual event sees farmers release cows from their winter-proof barns and let them roam free (29 per cent)
9. Mud Olympics (Brunsbuttel, Germany): Participate in mud football, mud handball, and other sports in this tradition now tied with a local music festival called ‘Mudstock’ (28 per cent)
10 = King of Kaszubska Street (Szczecin, Poland): One of Szczecin’s most beloved tourist attractions – a stray cat, known as Gacek (27 per cent)
10 = Tabernas Wild West (Almeria, Spain): Transport yourself back to the Wild West at an authentic Western Theme Park, complete with pool areas, restaurants, and more (27 per cent)
11. Kirkpinar (Edirne, Turkey): Dating back to 1360, this traditional Turkish oil wrestling will see participants trying to pin their opponents (24 per cent)
12 = Rouketopolemos (Chios, Greece): Each year, two churches on opposing sides of a ravine hold a spectacular fight using homemade fireworks (23 per cent)
12 = Wife Carrying Championship (Sonkajarvi, Finland): An annual race that sees men carry their wives across a gruelling obstacle course, with the winner earning their wife’s weight in beer (23 per cent)
13. Up Helly Aa (Shetland, UK): In a tradition dating back to the Victorian era, residents of this Scottish town transform into Vikings for one evening only. Festivities include a parade, and the ceremonial burning of a ship which is then danced around (21 per cent)
14. Visit Syros (Greece): Take a hike to this medieval village that overlooks the Aegean (19 per cent)
15 = Gozo Beach (Gozo, Malta): Soak in the rays at a deserted beach on the island of Gozo (18 per cent)
15 = Kukeri (Nationwide, Bulgaria): Between January and March, local men and boys dress up as monsters to chase away evil spirits (18 per cent)
15 = Goat Yoga (Amstelveen, Netherlands): Join a yoga class with a difference in this farm, by finding your inner zen surrounded by goats (18 per cent)
16. Viking Sushi Adventure (Stykkisholmur, Iceland): Take a historical boat trip through the fjords, while the crew catch fresh shellfish and other seafood, which is then served up to you (17 per cent)
17. The Underwater city of Heracleion (Alexandria, Egypt): Scuba dive down to the lost city of Heracleion, now exhumed from the depths of the Red Sea (15 per cent)
18. Calcio Fiorentino (Florence, Italy): Experience football in its early days by watching a game from the Middle Ages, which is a mix of football, rugby, and wrestling (14 per cent)
Source: easyJet
Finland’s Air Guitar Championship in Oulu (joint seventh, 31 per cent) invites participants to put their air guitar skills to the test in an event that promotes world peace through music
Britons chose the experiences they’d most like to add to their bucket list from a longlist compiled by a panel of experts including travel presenter Lucy Hedges, Cassam Looch, creative director at Culture Trip, travel writer Katie McConagle and Eleanor Ogilvie, head of network and airport strategy.
Antonio Shabbir, easyJet’s Customer Experience Director, commented: ‘We’re always looking at new trends and what customers want from their travels to expand our unrivalled short-haul network so that we’re flying to the places people want to visit. Our aim is to make it easier for more people to experience the unbounded joy of travel.
‘We hope that this list surprises people and inspires them to try something or somewhere new. Whether that’s exploring more of the places they love or visiting a new destination and its unique experiences for the first time, we encourage would-be travellers to get out there and do it.’
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