Travel

10 BEAUTIFUL WINTER WONDERLANDS

Neuschwanstein Castle in the Winter by Gliwi. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany.

by Gliwi. Neuschwanstein Castle in the Winter. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany.

Check out BeautifulNow’s curated-for-beauty list of winter wonderlands! With magical castles, snowy retreats, charming chalets, and more, you can have the most beautiful winter ever. See our top 10 beautiful winter destinations below.

1. NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE -- GERMANY

Towering above the village of Hohenschwangau in southwest Bavaria stands Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. Surrounded by forests and imposing mountains, this fairy tale palace, peppered with turrets and decorative chimneys, looks stunning in the white winter light.

2. TALLINN -- ESTONIA

Often described as a mini Prague, Tallinn, the oldest capital city in Northern Europe, boasts one of the best-preserved medieval town squares in the world. Stroll through enchanting cobblestoned Raekoja Plats and its fairytale Christmas Market, and warm yourself with a glass of glögi, Estonia’s traditional hot mulled wine.

3. HALLSTATT -- AUSTRIA

Perched beside a glassy lake and flanked by the snowcapped Dachstein Mountains, lies Hallstatt, Austria’s most spectacular alpine village. Called “the pearl of Austria,” this UNESCO heritage site is a wintery haven, whose breathtaking mountainous views and romantic Baroque architecture make it one of the most photographed places in the world.

4. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -- WYOMING

In winter, snow mantles the rugged peaks and steep valley of Yellowstone. On a drive, hike, or ski through the park’s terrain, you’ll spot a variety of wildlife, from Pronghorn antelope and bald eagles to wolves and lumbering bison, who’ve made Yellowstone their home for thousands of years.

5. NEW YORK CITY -- NEW YORK

No place is more romantic than New York City dusted in snow. Window shopping is at its best during the festive holiday season, when iconic department stores like Macy’s put up beautiful window displays. For those willing to brace the cold, nothing beats Central Park for ice-skating against the Manhattan skyline.

6. LAKE RESCHEN BELL TOWER -- ITALY

Legend has it that in the dead of winter the bell can still be heard from the submerged 14th-century church tower in the far north of Italy. The tower is all that remains of the village of Graun, which was flooded in 1950 to a build a dam. In winter, when the lake freezes, you can walk across it to the bell tower.

Image by LASZLO ILYES. “The Mountain Exhaled.” Lake Louise Park, Alberta, Canada.

7. FAIRMONT BANFF-SPRINGS -- CANADA

Dubbed Canada’s “Castle in the Rockies,” the world famous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is situated at the foot of Sulfur Mountain in the picturesque town of Banff, Alberta. Famous for its legendary hospitality, it hosted Marilyn Monroe in 1953 while she was filming River of No Return.

8. HOTEL KAKSLAUTTANEN AND IGLOO VILLAGE -- FINLAND

Nestled in the wilderness high above the Arctic Circle, Finland’s Hotel Kakslauttanen and Igloo Village offers one of the best views of the Aurora Borealis from inside a cozy thermal glass igloo.

9. HARBIN ICE AND SNOW FESTIVAL -- CHINA

During the coldest months of the year, The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival literally glows. Lit up in an array of colors, the festival features breathtaking ice sculptures created from the Songhua River. From scaled-down versions of the Forbidden City and the Great Wall to simpler student-created pieces, the sheer volume of beauty is staggering.

10. BLED -- SLOVENIA

In the foothills of the Julian Alps, Bled ranks as one of the most beautiful alpine winter destinations. A mecca for cross-country skiing, it offers expansive mountain views and beckons visitors to its picturesque lake, medieval castle, and thermal waters. Bled is also renown for its legendary vanilla cream cakes.

Read more about Winter Wonder all this week on BeautifulNow, including Magic Winter Wonderland: Lapland, 8 Most Beautiful Winter Trips, and Surreal Lakes with Frozen Bubbles. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

Image: by Gliwi. Neuschwanstein Castle in the Winter. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany.
Image: by Marco Cortese. Neuschwanstein Castle. Bavaria, Germany.
Image: by P a U L i u S. Tallinn. Tallinn, Estonia.
Image: by Bernd Thaller. Hallstatt Winter Panorama. Hallstatt, Austria.
Image: by NAParish. Lower Yellowstone Falls. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Image: by Anthony Quintano. New York City the Day After the Blizzard of 2013. New York City, USA.
Image: by Courtesy of See Hotel. Lake Reschen Bell Tower, Italy.
Image: by LASZLO ILYES. The Mountain Exhaled, Lake Louise Park, Alberta, Canada.
Image: Courtesy of Visit Finland. Blue Moment in Kakslauttanen Igloo Village. Hotel Kakslauttanen and Igloo Village, Finland.
Image: by Elizabeth Phung. Harbin's Snow and Ice World. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, China.
Image: by duncan c. Lake Bled. Bled, Slovenia.
Image: by Mirci. Bled Lake, Slovenia. Bled, Slovenia.
Image: by 李吉秋. The Eleventh Harbin Ice Snow World. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, China.
Image: Courtesy of Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. Hotel Kakslauttanen and Igloo Village, Finland.