Travel
Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations
Slide Nr 1The winter months have a magic and mystery all their own. While the days may be shorter and colder, the season compensates by transforming familiar landscapes into snow-covered fairy tales just waiting to be explored – at least, in some places. Whether you yearn to hit the slopes, experience a bustling festive market or witness the majesty of the Northern Lights, now is the time to start planning that once-in-a-lifetime dream trip. With the world starting to open up again after its own extended hibernation, we present 14 of our favourite winter wonderland adventures.
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 3Experience The Ice Sculpture Festival In Harbin City, China – Northeast China’s largest metropolis, Harbin’s notoriously freezing winter temperatures have led to it being dubbed the ‘Ice City’. Here you can take in the unique mix of local Han, Manchu and Russian cultures and, in January and February, be wowed by the spectacular ice sculpture festival. The longest celebration of its type in the world, visitors can experience a veritable world made of ice and snow – complete with cathedrals, towers and even the Roman coliseum – and watch as all manner of sculptures, from comical cartoon characters to lifelike human and animal figures, are painstakingly crafted from ice cut from the nearby Songhua River.
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 4See The Northern Lights In Scotland – The warmth of a Scottish welcome can thaw the iciest conditions. Add to that some of Europe’s most ruggedly beautiful landscapes, as well as a chance to glimpse the Northern Lights, and your visit to Scotland is sure to be a wintertime delight. For your best chances of catching the cosmic light show, head north to Shetland, Aberdeenshire or even the Isle of Skye which, in addition to famously striking scenery, also boasts several official Dark Sky sites with near-zero light pollution. The ideal place to watch Aurora Borealis in all her glory – or at least get in some quality stargazing if she’s being shy.
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 5Go Snowshoeing In Transylvania, Romania – We all know the name, but Transylvania is about more than vampiric horror stories. This unspoiled corner of Romania is a picture postcard in the winter, as snow blankets the villages, farmsteads, mountains and valleys—and yes, Bran Castle, alleged home of a certain pointy-toothed native. A guided hiking or snowshoeing tour through this exquisite landscape is the perfect way to experience all there is to offer. It’s one for the fitter traveller, but an après-shoe tot of local plum brandy revives even the heaviest legs.
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 6Go Whale-Watching In Antarctica – A chance to witness the largest animals on earth in their natural environment ranks right up there on many people’s ultimate bucket lists. As if the sight of orcas, minke, humpback and sperm whales wasn’t exciting enough, the incredible backdrop ups the ante. The blue glaciers, active volcanoes, snow-covered mountains and endless black oceans of the planet’s southernmost continent have to be seen to be believed, and the whole experience is one you are sure to remember forever. We know, whale-watching season takes place in the Antarctic summer – but the surrounding snow, ice and frigid air will ensure a suitably hibernal setting.
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 7Browse The Winter Markets In Salzburg, Austria – There has been some form of Advent market in Salzburg’s Cathedral Square since as far back as the 15th century, and few places do it better. Watched over by the imposing Hohensalzburg fortress, you can meander amongst the many glittering stalls, letting the warming aromas of gingerbread, mulled wine and toasted almonds wash over you. Shop to browse enchanting handcrafted toys and Christmas tree baubles, and enjoy the choral singing in front of the cathedral, or take a stroll across the city’s hilltops and just drink in the breathtaking view. (Can’t make it to Austria this year? Explore another of the top festive markets in Europe or around the world.)
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 8Say Hello To Santa In Finnish Lapland – It’s hard to imagine a more authentic winter vacation: Lapland, Finland’s most northerly region, has everything you could possibly want in a holiday break. Ski some of Europe’s least crowded pistes or, if that sounds like too much hard work, how about a reindeer-drawn heated sleigh ride, with a glass or two of Champagne to hand? You can even sleep out under the Northern Lights in a ‘Bubble Sled’ or igloo. And of course, no trip to Santa’s neck-of-the-woods is complete without a visit to the big man himself. [Photo: Visit Rovaniemi and Visit Finland]
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 9Try Winter Sports In Alaska, USA – Alaska is a place of unparalleled beauty any time of year – but winters are something very special indeed. Out of the region’s three million lakes (you heard that right), we recommend heading to Bear Glacier Lagoon in the Kenai Fjords National Park. Here, against the backdrop of the 2,400-square-kilometre Harding Icefield, winter sports lovers can indulge in some backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering and splitboarding. Head to the nearby town of Seward in March, and you also watch the start of the brutal Iditarod Sled Dog Race.
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 10Escape The Ice Monsters At Zao Onsen, Japan – Every year as freezing winds blow in from Siberia, the Maries’ Fir trees on Japan’s Mount Zao transform into immense surreal curiosities, called juhyo in Japanese but also known as ‘ice monsters’, ‘snow monsters or ‘shrimp tails’. These imposing sights can be enjoyed on a ski tour or from the mountain’s ropeway or gondola, and are even more spectacular at night when the monsters light up under colourful illumination. And after all that exertion, it’s time to recuperate in the famous Zao onsen hot springs.
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Bucket List: 14 Magical Winter Destinations.
Slide Nr 14Try Telemark Skiing In Abisko, Sweden – Located 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland, the town of Abisko acts as a doorway to some extreme adventure skiing. The Abisko ski resort and national park offer a heady combination of off-piste and heli-skiing, plus some fabulous views, plenty of wildlife spotting and frequent sightings of the Aurora Borealis. For the skier looking to learn a totally new technique, why not give telemark skiing a try – ascending and/or descending the mountain on skis with free-heel bindings.
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