In praise of winter travel

As the heat of summer dwindles away, the proposition of travel shifts. Instead of chasing sunshine, winter travel offers an invitation to embrace the cold. Open water swimmers might be enthusiastically nodding their heads, but for a large portion of the population, holidays have become synonymous with summer, often limiting us to peak season, peak prices and peak crowds.

Harriet Matthews

I first dipped my toe into winter travel on a long weekend to Paris with five of my oldest friends. In deepest darkest December, we boarded the earliest Eurostar wrapped up in thick coats, sturdy boots and scarves, and sped towards Paris as the sun rose across the frosty planes of northern France. We waddled out of Gare du Nord and into the pastel green Du Pain et des Idées. On that freezing quiet Thursday morning in Paris, we sat bundled outside, clutching at cups of steaming coffee and fresh-from-the-oven croissants, glowing from the inside out.

As my holiday habits have gradually migrated into colder months, I’ve been struck by the peace of winter’s night skies, felt the bite of Baltic coastlines, and held my breath at mountains blanketed in snow. And when the time has come to retreat inside, I’ve relished the warmth of strangers in a neighbourhood tavern, thawed my hands over open fires, and warmed my cockles on spicy Tuscan soup.

I’ve become convinced that travel calls us out into the world, not in spite of the winter – but because of its beauty. So here’s my homage to the cold: five trips that reveal the beauty of winter landscapes.

Robert Bye

Trips for winter landscapes

Scandinavia by train

Catch winter's most remarkable natural wonder, the aurora borealis, as you head beyond the Arctic Circle, traversing one of the world's steepest railways deep into the fjords.

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Alpine escapism

Winter done right: pine-shrouded hiking trails, lake ice skating, and one of the greatest Alpine railways in the world. When night draws in, warm up in Swiss style with Raclette.

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Kevin Schmid

The Baltic Coast

It’s not for the fainthearted, but brave the chill of Poland's Baltic Coast and you'll experience the quiet of snow-covered beaches and vast white skies. Bleak, yet beautiful.

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Polina Kuzovkova

Yorkshire markets and moors

Brooding moorland, festive market towns and a warm Yorkshire welcome will make you wonder why you ever wanted to escape the British winter.

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The Moselle Valley

The cooler months are a magical time to visit the Moselle, where hikes across orange hills studded with castles lead into evenings in fire-lit taverns.

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Joshua Kettle