Whenever winter’s icy grip begins to take over our hemisphere, it’s easy to bemoan the season as a months-long trudge through gray skies and runny noses. But there’s a beautiful side to winter that often gets overlooked—we’re talking about pristine frozen lakes, the aurora-lit skies of Lapland, and English cottages that put Norman Rockwell paintings to shame.
So the next time you start cursing temperature drops and dreading yet another snow day, we invite you to plan an impromptu trip to explore one of Europe’s best Christmas markets or go skiing in the Swiss Alps—or, at the very least, grab a warm blanket and walk through some winter wonderlands from behind your computer screen.
From Wisconsin to Japan, here are 35 gorgeous winter destinations that are sure to melt your icy heart.
This gallery was originally published in 2016. It has been updated with new information.
yvesgagnon1974/GettyLake Minnewanka, CanadaBanff National Park has no shortage of beautiful lakes (Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are standouts), but we love the glacial Lake Minnewanka. Located in the eastern part of the park, its epic views of the Canadian Rockies should not be missed.
AndyRoland/GettyCotswolds, EnglandEngland’s most timeless countryside—complete with beautiful cottages, chic inns, and horse farms—becomes a real-life painting when it gets a light dusting of snow.
Oleh_Slobodeniuk/GettySwitzerlandSurrounded by the Alps, Switzerland is easily one of the most beautiful countries in the world, no matter when you’re visiting. Come wintertime though, it becomes a veritable wonderland, with powdery ski slopes, frozen lakes, and the most luxurious resort towns you’ll ever see.
Sino Images/GettyHarbin, ChinaEvery January in northern China, upwards of a million tourists flock to an attraction unlike anything else in the world: a temporary city made entirely out of ice. The annual Harbin International Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival has taken place since 1963, covering some eight million square feet with frozen, LED-covered skyscrapers, palaces, and sculptures.
vichie81/GettyShirakawa-go, JapanThe coldest parts of Japan are in its northernmost regions, but nowhere is snow country more beautifully represented than in the thatched cottages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. These UNESCO-protected villages cover 170 acres in central Japan and are tucked into the mountains like real-life snow globes.
Zeb Andrews/GettyMultnomah Falls, OregonThe 611-foot-tall Multnomah Falls flows through Oregon’s lush Columbia River Gorge like something out of a fairy tale. The double cascade has been known to freeze over during extremely cold weather, offering one of the most unique views in the Pacific Northwest.
AlexAnton/GettyGdańsk, PolandWhen the holidays roll around, the warm and cozy feel of this storybook port city goes into overdrive, especially at the month-long Christmas Fair. Highlights include advent windows, a magical snow globe, a sleigh ride flight simulator, and a speaking elk. Be sure to take a break from the food and drink booths to ride the two-floor Gdańsk carousel.
Saad Chaudhry/UnsplashLapland, FinlandLapland is Finland’s northernmost region, and probably one of the most idyllic winter scenes you’ll ever come across. There aren’t many places where you can visit Santa Claus, take a reindeer sleigh ride, or sleep under the Northern Lights in a bubble sled—but Lapland offers all three.
