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Elizabeth Thompson

Winter is not necessarily the time to simply tuck in, stay home, and hibernate. it's a season which happens to be the perfect time to visit a number of stunningly beautiful places around the world which get even prettier when it's cold. Here's a list of eleven which (except maybe for one) probably have never occurred to you!

York, Maine

Located near the southern tip of the state, York (top) is popular for being a vacation spot during the summer season. However, in the month of January, the snow, the ocean, and the lighthouse, make this a truly special place. Make your trip plan with trip schedule planner

Loket, Czech Republic

Right outside the spa city of Karlovy Vary and two hours west of Prague, this town is surrounded on three sides by the Ohre River, dominated by a magnificent castle here will remind you of a place straight out of the movies. The snow-covered town and the stunning castle make this place a definite go-to during the winter months.

Jamnik, Slovenia

A half an hour drive from Ljubljana's Brnik Airport, this town is completely covered in snow during the winter and looks like a another world altogether, with nothing but a beautiful little church in the middle of it all. Winter here is incomparably picturesque.

Shirakawa-go, Japan


A little village on the slopes of Mount Haku (one of Japan's three "holy mountains"), in Honshu island's Ryohaku Range, a 7½-hour drive or one-hour flight from Tokyo. This little village is one of the snowiest places in the world. This is the reason you will find here houses that are weather resistant with sturdy roofs, without which surviving in the snow here is bound to be difficult.

Gobi Desert, Mongolia

A desert covered in snow is definitely worth seeing once in your lifetime. But keep in mind, it gets cold here - in the month of December, the temperature in the Gobi can drop down to -40 degrees F. 

Tallin, Estonia

One look at the beautiful architecture in the old town of this Baltic country's capital will vault you back to the Middle Ages, and dusted with snow they look like a Brothers Grimm fairytale. Tallinn's northerly latitude During the winter months, Estonia gets sunshine for just about half an hour in the entire day.

Gullfoss, Iceland

When talking about beautiful snowy winters, there is no way to exclude Iceland. Gullfoss is a waterfall located in the country's southwest, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations. This huge waterfall covered entirely in snow will without a doubt leave you simply awestruck.

Langwies, Switzerland

The Langwieser Viaduct is a single track railway bridge that runs from one side of Switzerland, to the other. And this little town down in the Alpine Grisons (Graubünden) is beautiful, with large, snow-capped trees; this track elevated in the middle of this beautiful snowy place makes this especially a worthwhile experience for sure.

Calitri, Italy

Located in the Campania region of the southern Italy, this town is filled with colourful hillside houses and buildings. All the streets here are interconnected, with stairs made out of marble and stone, giving this place a very atmospheric feel indeed.

Tromsø, Norway

Way up above the Arctic Circle just under two hours by plane from Oslo, this city has been inhabited since the end of the last Ice Age, and its snow covered hills, the lake, and the small houses, make this place a beautiful place to visit during the winters (when it's also excellent for viewing the spectacular Northern Lights).

Banff National Park, Canada


Covering a 2,564-square-mile swath of the Rocky Mountains near Calgary in the province of Alberta, it's especially breathtaking in the snow - and popular with skiiers and snowboarders from all over the world. The Banff Springs Hotel here is a classic grande dame (also said to be haunted by a woman ghost in a wedding dress).