You’ve heard of ice hotels, frozen bars and frosted restaurants, but Finland’s Arctic Snow Hotel says a little prayer to the winter gods with its very own ice chapel. Before hitting the hay – a frozen slab covered in furs – unwind in the hot tub then take a turn in the snow sauna. The melting walls fill the room with soothing steam, but overstay the 15-minute limit and you’ll defrost a puddle of trouble.
Turn on the aurora alarm when you get to your room and sleep soundly knowing you won’t miss any night-sky action. If an evening on ice isn’t your jam, book one of the hotel’s new Arctic Glass Igloos and watch the northern lights snake through the sky from the comfort of your bed.
Way up in the mountains the words Aqua Dome must mean relaxation with a view, because that’s exactly what’s on offer here, near Oberlängengeld in the Austrian state of Tirol. This wellness hotel and thermal spa is brimming with saunas (there’s one with hay, and another in a loft), hot pools, a steam cathedral, saltwater grotto, herbal bath and indulgent pampering possibilities back at the spa, making it more than just a spot to catch some Zs after a long day on the slopes.
Take a dip under the cascading indoor waterfall before venturing through the canals leading to the bowl-shaped pools outside. Teetering on stilts up to 12 metres high, the pools appear suspended in the air, like a spaceship levitating through the Alps. Who would have thought floating in futuristic bowls could be so relaxing?
Explore the two jewels in Russia’s imperial crown, and everything in between, as you ply the waterways of the tsars between Moscow and St Petersburg over nearly two weeks. Start in the capital by taking in Red Square and the former royal citadel, the Kremlin, which is now home to the president. Once you’ve seen the Moscow sights, pack your bags – you’re about to set sail along Europe’s longest river, the Volga, immersing yourself in Russia’s rich history along the way.
Admire the ancient architecture of the ‘Golden Ring of Cities’ – Uglich and Yaroslavl – and enjoy the journey’s grand finale with an evening at the ballet in St Petersburg.
Strap into a Soviet spacesuit, see how a g-force simulator operates and watch as astronauts test out zero gravity at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre. You can even see a full-size, water-submerged copy of the MIR space station. Explore the training centre with a tour guide and watch as astronauts jog around – heck, you could maybe even join them. Once a highly restricted zone, the heart of the Russian space program is now open for tourists.
Travel to Norway’s northernmost archipelago, Svalbard, and sail on
the century-old German tall ship, the Noorderlicht. The Noorderlicht offers a 12-day voyage sailing in the high Arctic around North Spitsbergen, where polar bears outnumber humans. Marvel at spectacular fjords, ice-covered seas and Arctic glaciers, and enjoy an abundance of wildlife-spotting opportunities. See walruses beached on ice floes, reindeer, arctic foxes and, of course, polar bears.
Unwind from the slopes in a spa separated from the snow by a 15-metre sheet of glass. Tucked away in the forest near Norway’s fjords, glaciers and mountains, Juvet Landscape Hotel immerses guests in the beauty of Scandinavian nature with its eco-conscious design.
The hotel has a cabin, mill house and hillside huts, but best of all are the seven wooden retreats perched on stilts over the forest floor. Muted walls and furnishings give full attention to the pièce de résistance – a sweeping glass wall looking out over birch and pine growing by the Valldola River. In winter, enjoy cross-country skiing just outside your door and moonlit snowshoe treks through the surrounding forest. In spring snow still covers the mountains and you can ski in the sunshine wearing just a T-shirt and shorts.
It’s a winter wonderland year-round at Saas Fee. Squeezed between the glaciers of the Pennine Alps, this Swiss village is a guaranteed snowfest day in, day out. If you think you’re too cool for school, think again; there are several ski schools on the mountain teaching basic skills through to advanced moves. There’s even a freestyle skiing eld to pick up some new tricks.
Embark on a mountain trek, sail into the sky on the cableway for jaw-dropping 360-degree mountain views or take the world’s highest funicular railway to explore a glacier inside the planet’s largest ice grotto. Whatever you choose to do, remember the village is a car-free zone, so try to conserve some energy for your post-adventure stroll back to your hotel.
With a backdrop of Switzerland’s most beautiful mountains, SnowpenAir allows punters to get high listening to the likes of James Blunt and Bryan Adams. For two days in April, the world’s highest open-air concert showcases some of the world’s biggest acts, as well as some homegrown heroes to keep the local crowd happy.
Forget warm beers and the stench of portaloos that typically hovers over festivals, and instead breathe in the fresh alpine air and enjoy a schwofen (dance) on the slopes.
Party hard in an abandoned factory and brush off the cobwebs with the help of crisp air and powder snow the following day. Open from December through May, Bansko, Bulgaria’s largest ski resort, offers one of Europe’s longest ski seasons but the best time to go is in March when Horizon Festival hits the slopes.
This boutique event packs 30 parties into an eclectic mix of venues, including abandoned hotels and a geothermal pool, over six nights and seven days. Think international DJs pumping out house, techno, groove and funk in secret spots on Pirin Mountain and on stages lurking in forests and medieval halls.
If you decide to add Cyprus to your next itinerary, put a few days aside for some fun in the snow. That’s right, in the heart of the Troodos Mountains, Mount Olympus has four ski slopes.
It’s a short season, from January to March, and it’s all pretty gentle, but it does have the honour of being one of the few places in the world where you can get your hit of snow-based action for part of the day then sunbake yourself silly at a beach resort just an hour later. Nearby Paphos has 27 beaches ranging from very popular to almost deserted, the perfect way to warm up after your unexpected snow experience.
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