Cold-weather getaways (part 1)

Considering that winter is coming and that we’ve started talking about some peculiar places to go for winter sports, today we’ll be looking at a few other types of suggestions in regards to cold-weather getaways, unrelated to winter sports exclusively.

Budapest

There are few places that celebrate winter in the way in which Eastern Europe does. This is where you’ll find fairy-tale cityscapes, sub-zero temperatures and generally people who are accustomed to getting through the colder season. Once you’ve braved the banks of the Danube you can take in Budapest’s legendary cafes and sights and you’ll find hot baths all over the city to warm up in.

Quebec City

Talking about getting used to the cold, the capital of Francophone Canada has an annual Winter Carnival featuring snow sculptures and an Ice Palace, not to mention a legendary canoe race along the St. Lawrence River. Close to Quebec City you’ll find the Hotel de Glace which is built each year on the shores of Lac St-Joseph.

Trans Siberian

It’s hard to find a harsher winter than a Russian one and many ways of experiencing it but going on the Trans-Siberian railway will make for one of the most unique by far. If the epic, cross-country journey isn’t for you, you might want to try a week visiting St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Lapland

This is a place which does its clichés well. The region straddles northern Norway, Sweden and Finland and is home for none other than Father Christmas and all the reindeer that you can handle. It’s cold, it’s snowy and this is where the concept of the ice hotel originated. Meeting the Sami indigenous people and getting to know their culture is one of the main things that should interest any traveler, to see how they cope with the months upon months of frosty darkness.

There are several more destinations that we’ll check out in the future, keep in mind some worldwide car services.