Top Winter Destinations in Europe – PART TWO

We’re getting closer and closer to New Year’s Eve and you have no idea where to go for your winter vacation? We’ve already given you some ideas in our part one of this blog post, but we’re sure that you want more top winter destinations in Europe.

No need to wait any longer, lets read about some magical winter destinations.

Belgrade

Winter is the time when Belgrade really lives up to its name (Serbian: Beograd; Beo – white, grad – city). When it gets covered in snow it’s really magical. Plus, the Christmas lights really set the special atmosphere. Just stroll down Knez Mihajlova to Republic Square and Kalemegdan and see amazing decorations and various musical events during December and January. There is even the open-air cinema around NYE on Slavija, even though it’s winter (get some mulled wine and you’ll be okay). And if you stay in Belgrade around Orthodox Christmas go to the St. Sava temple, that’s where everything is happening. If you’re a fan of Christmas markets, visit Belgrade’s Christmas festival and the Republic Square and check out what you can find on stands.

How to get to Belgrade? Belgrade has its own airport so it’s easy. Or if you don’t prefer to fly you can get there by train or bus, the connections are pretty good.

And don’t forget to download our Cultural Places App to find our guided tours through Belgrade.

© Jovan Marković

St. Petersburg

If you’re into winter wonderlands than this is the right place for you. St. Petersburg and frozen Neva river look like a real-life fairy tale in winter, one of most beautiful winter destinations. Yes, it’s Russia and it’s pretty cold but not as cold as some other places in Russia usually get. It’s usually between 8 and 13 Celsius degrees below 0, and in some other cities it gets to -40. It gets magical in November (early?), you can see Christmas trees and snowflakes everywhere. And there is a magical Christmas market in the city centre where you will find traditional Russian food and handicrafts. When you get too cold, we recommend to visit a spa, there is many of them (and they cure everything).

How to get to St. Petersburg? By plane, of course. Or hop on a train in some of the European capitals (such as Paris, Berlin, Cologne…), train rides through Russia are super-magical in winter.

Prague

Prague is another European city with a magical Christmas market and a very popular winter destination. Some of the best Christmas markets are in the Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, Peace Square and at Prague Castle. That’s where you’ll find awesome gifts ideas and delicious traditional food and drinks. Get up early in the morning and take a walk over the Charles bridge covered in light snow, you will make beautiful photos. Then walk to the Prague Castle, climb up to its walls and enjoy the view over the city covered in snow blanket, it’s pure magic. Especially in the New Year’s Eve when it lights up from all the fireworks. There are many more interesting landmarks, Prague deserves a blog post of its own.

How to get to Prague? Like many of the beautiful cities that we wrote about, Prague has its airport, too. You can find some affordable airlines and tickets, especially if you book early. Or if you are closer to Prague and the Czech Republic you can get there by bus or train.

Salzburg

Since we’re already talking about some magical winter destinations Salzburg is one of the must-visits. It’s just gorgeous under the snow blanket, especially in the night time with all the lights. Christmas market here is also magical, one of the best in Europe. There is a few of them and the best one is in front of the Salzburg Cathedral and the Residenz Palace. That’s where you’ll try traditional cookies Lebkuchen (similar to gingerbread) and Glühwein (delicious mulled wine) and a lot of other delicious things. If you are a more active person there are a few interesting and cheaper ski resorts that are about an hour or two away from Salzburg, such as Niederau, Alpbach, Söll, Ellmau, Rauris…

How to get to Salzburg? Salzburg also has its airport, almost in the downtown, so it’s really easy to get to your accommodation once you are there. Also, it’s easy to get there by train. Salzburg is set between Vienna and Munich so if you’re already there it’s super easy to transfer to gorgeous Salzburg.

Skiing in Alpbach, Austria

If you are a fan of skiing and looking for an affordable yet popular and interesting ski resort then you should check out Alpbach ski area, near the Alpbach village, an hour and a half away from Salzburg and 50 minutes from Innsbruck airport. Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau is family-friendly ski resort near Alpbach village with 109 km pristine pistes and 45 lifts. It’s suitable for beginners and advanced skiers, too. This area is voted to be one of the top 10 skiing areas in Tyrol and it promises good times.

Season: December 7 2018 – April 22 2019
Tickets: You can get your daily ski pass for 43 EUR (22 EUR for kids).
How to get to Alpbach? Fly to Salzburg, Innsbruck or Munich and catch an airport transfer to Alpbach, or rent a car, the roads are fine.

All these destinations are pretty close to airports or train stations so it fairly easy to get to them. As for accommodation, we always tend to find cheaper options – homes or apartments from locals. And as we’ve checked you can find a lot of them near cities centres and a ski resort that we recommended. Just try booking as early as possible.

We hope that we’ve given you some last-minute ideas for your winter holidays and that you’ll have a good time. Now go pack your bags. And don’t hesitate to send us pictures from your holiday, we would love that.