Three Winter Wonderlands to Visit in Europe

I’ve always ended up going somewhere just as cold as — if not colder than — New York for my winter travels. As they say, the cold never bothered me anyway. Here are four countries in Europe that I’ve had a great time visiting specifically for their winter scenery, even after the winter holidays, with something for both the outdoorsy and more city-folk adventurers.

Iceland

First up is the coldest place I’ve ever been to in the winter time! When I went, it was below 38°F (3°C) every day. To say Iceland is beautiful is an understatement. I’ve just never experienced such expansive nature – snowy beaches, ice caves, glaciers, waterfalls, hot springs, and of course, the northern lights! You can only see the aurora in the winter, and as you can tell from the picture I took to the left, they did not disappoint.

While there are so few daylight hours (about 5 hours a day!), it was more pleasant than I was expecting. In fact, the darkness added to the peacefulness of the nature scenery, and the cities were decorated with string lights which added a touch of festivity to the otherwise extensive darkness.

Best for: Mostly outdoor destinations

Style tip: Be sure to bundle up in warm, waterproof hiking gear!

Itinerary: Reykjavík, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, The Golden Circle

<Itinerary, including spa recommendations, coming soon!>

Austria

For a mix of nature and cityscapes, Austria is the way to go. The cities all have quite a few museums to visit if you want to spend more time indoors. Since Austria is the center of western classical music, there are many theaters and concerts you can attend in on too!

As for nature, the snowy mountains were breathtaking. This is something I don’t see very often, so it was even more special to me. See for yourself at the picture to my right of the Untersberg Mountain which I viewed from the fortress in Salzburg:

Best for: a good mix of city and nature activities

Future tip: January-February is ball season, so this could be a unique and fun indoor activity to add to your itinerary!

Itinerary: Vienna, Hallstatt, Obertraun, Salzburg, Graz, Linz

Snowy scenery of river bending around the town of Czesky Krumlov

The Czech Republic

This Central European country also has a good mix of nature and cityscapes, though I spent more time in the cities here. There was so much to do, like crystal engraving, beer tasting, the spa, and of course the ballet, as well as plenty to do outside! This was the first time I saw that spending time outdoors in the city wasn’t just a way to get to my next indoor location, but something to appreciate. Walking around gave me a chance to admire the river, the architecture, and even explore some castles and fortresses!

From the number of people outside in the markets and chilling at cafes, you wouldn’t even guess that it was freezing outside. Everyone was truly unbothered, and there were numerous outdoor cafes where people were happily enjoying a drink and chatting under heat lamps and blankets. I was also very impressed with their indoor heating.

Much of my “outdoor” activities were nature-tangential: hiking up a hill to get to a fortress, admiring mountains from a city viewpoint, and walking around expansive castles that spanned the river. It definitely looks beautiful when covered in snow, if you could tell from the picture on the left.

Best for: lots of outdoor and indoor city activities

Style tip: Double up on layers to smoothly transition between inside and outside excursions!

Itinerary: Prague, Brno, Mělník, Nižbor, Plzeň (Pilsen), Karlstejne, Karlovy Vary, Český Krumlov, Kutna Hora

Final thoughts

As a New Yorker, spending time leisure time outdoors in the winter is kind of not a thing. I used to (and a lot of people I know) treat going outside as a necessary means to get to other indoor places, and it wasn’t until I visited these destinations in Europe where I saw people just sitting outside chilling that I began to appreciate spending time outdoors in the colder months. And since then, I’ve been excited to travel during winter, and appreciate walking around my city in the colder months now too. I think as long as you dress for the weather, you’ll be fine.

Robin in a purple outfit and gray coat sitting on a snowy ledge with the Untersberg in the background.

Robinspo