Whether shrouded in snow, dripping with icicles or speckled with frost, some destinations truly come to life when temperatures plummet. These photographs show off some of the world's most stunning frosty scenes, from charming little villages to spectacular frozen lakes and soaring snow-capped peaks.
Read on to see a selection of the planet's most beautiful winter scenes...
Tucked in the heart of picture-perfect Banff National Park, the 50-hectare Moraine Lake has been nicknamed the ‘Twenty Dollar View’ because it once featured on the back of Canadian bank notes. While it tends to be packed out with visitors in summer, by winter it couldn’t be more different. The access road is closed between November and May due to avalanche risk and only certain viewpoints are open via cross-country ski trails, making for an utterly tranquil winter landscape.
The largest of London’s Royal Parks at 2,500 acres, Richmond Park brings glorious swathes of nature to the capital. An important National Nature Reserve, it’s home to some of the UK’s oldest trees, endangered fungi species and, most famously, deer. There are more than 600 of these graceful creatures here and they certainly make for a special sight on a crisp winter morning like this one, pictured, surrounded by frost-tipped grass and faint blue mist.
Among the most breathtaking ski locations on Earth, the town of Whitefish, Montana is known for its impressive alpine scenery – which really bursts into life in winter. Threaded with ski routes and flanked by snow-dusted pines, the resort is on the doorstep of the picturesque Glacier National Park, which covers 1,583 square miles (4,100sq km) in northwestern Montana.
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Few waterfalls are quite so dramatic as Iceland’s Gullfoss Falls, which plunges 105 feet (32m) across two stages as it descends into the steep-sided Gullfossgjúfur canyon. In winter, its surroundings are thickly carpeted in pristine white snow and the waterfall partially freezes over, adding to the falls’ ethereal beauty.
Nothing says winter wonderland quite like these fairy-tale ice castles in Midway, Utah. Unlike most ice sculptures, which are carved from blocks, artists create the organic forms using hundreds of thousands of icicles, which are stuck onto scaffolds, covered in water and allowed to grow in different shapes. The idea began when founder Brent Christensen built an ice cave in his garden to keep his kids entertained. Since then the ice castles have grown into a seasonal attraction, with other locations in New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Colorado.
Standing at 1,519 feet (463m) tall, the distinctive Kirkjufell mountain becomes even more dramatically gorgeous when covered in snow. Located on the north coast of Iceland’s Snæfellsnes peninsula, its cone-shaped peak is known as a nunatak – an exposed part of a mountain that protruded from a glacier during the last ice age. It’s especially spellbinding when the aurora borealis or Northern Lights dance around it, as captured in this photograph.
Banff glistens with picture-perfect lakes and Bow Lake is one of the prettiest. Dusted with a light sprinkling of snow and hugged by low-lying clouds in this ethereal shot, the lake – located on the Bow River in western Alberta – is the epitome of winter beauty. Sitting at an altitude of 6,300 feet (1,920m), it’s at the base of Bow Summit, which can be seen reflected in its waters on clear days.
Southern Utah’s Bryce Canyon is usually photographed in the summer, yet arguably it’s even more beautiful in the winter. The canyon's bowl-shaped natural amphitheatre is filled with myriad rocky spires called hoodoos. Powdered with snow and bathed in candy pink light, it looks utterly majestic in this sunrise shot.
Shrouded in mist and dusted with powdery snow, the majestic Baroque church that crowns Lake Bled’s waters is beautifully illuminated by a shaft of sunlight in this crisp wintery shot, with the Julian Alps providing a dramatic backdrop. First built in 1142, the church was replaced in the 15th century but was badly damaged by two earthquakes. The church we can see today was constructed in the 17th century.
Covered with a thick layer of snow and shimmering with pockets of golden light, the village of Gokayama – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Japan’s Shogawa River Valley – looks every bit the cosy alpine scene here. Located in a remote, mountainous region, the houses were designed in traditional gassho-zukuri style, meaning 'constructed like hands in prayer'. The name refers to the steeply pitched roofs, which allow them to withstand heavy snowfall during winter.
In rural Wyoming and just south of Yellowstone, the 310,000-acre Grand Teton National Park becomes a model of alpine beauty in winter. The stark peaks of the Teton Range are largely made up of a 2.7 billion-year-old metamorphic rock called gneiss and the landscape has since been shaped by earthquakes, fire and ice.
The ultimate winter wonderland (and apparently Santa Claus’ official home), Lapland’s pristine snowy landscape has inspired countless stories, books and films over the years. In this enchanting shot, colourful wooden cottages are dotted between Arctic evergreens, their boughs heavy with snow, while pale-pink early morning light bathes the scene.
Germany’s highest lake at an altitude of 1,978 feet (603m), Lake Königssee is especially striking in winter. Enclosed by steep, fjord-like mountain walls, which are striped with snow when the cold weather sets in, its dazzling waters act as a perfect mirror for the 17th-century St. Bartholomew’s Church, whose striking red spires brighten the western shore.
Neuschwanstein Castle was built for Ludwig II, King of Bavaria in the late 19th century as a place to seek solitude and refuge from public life. Ironically it became a popular attraction shortly after his death, and today it’s one of the world's most visited castles. Every inch the dreamy fairy-tale image, the castle stands on top of a hill in the picturesque Bavarian Alps. It’s usually dusted lightly with snow in winter, which only adds to the magic.
Since the 7th century, the storied peak of Mount Fuji has been a sacred site for members of the Indigenous Shinto faith, who believe the volcano holds the kami (spirit) of a mythological princess, Konohana-sakuya Hime. Peeking out from ethereal mists and reflected in the tranquil waters of Lake Yamanaka, the 12,388-foot (3,776m) high volcano looks particularly awe-inspiring in this wintry photograph.
Few places on Earth offer such raw natural beauty as the almost 700-square-mile (1,810sq km) Torres del Paine National Park in Chile's remote Patagonia region. In this stunning photograph, its claw-like granite torres (towers), glistening azure waters and rugged grasslands look all the more enchanting with the addition of snow.
Frozen into heavy curtains of snow and ice, the waterfalls at Plitvice Lakes National Park are a sight to behold when temperatures drop. The forest reserve, between the cities of Zagreb and Zadar in central Croatia, covers a total area of around 116 square miles (300sq km) and is best known for its interconnected lakes and waterfalls.
Franz Josef Glacier, on New Zealand's South Island, must be one of the most awe-inspiring frozen landscapes on the planet. The glacier originates in the Southern Alps, descending from a height of 9,843 feet (3,000m) to almost sea level across a distance of around 6.8 miles (11km). Striking features along the way include deep crevasses, ice caves and tunnels.
Lilac, golden and indigo hues dance on the peaks around the semi-frozen Pragser Wildsee, also known as Lago di Braies, creating an utterly magical atmosphere. Located in northern Italy’s Dolomites region, the lake is known for its crystalline waters and magnificent surroundings of sweeping mountain views and spruce pine forests.
Perito Moreno Glacier, in Patagonia's UNESCO-listed Los Glaciares National Park is one of the few glaciers in the world that’s growing, not shrinking. Creating impressive cracks and crevasses as it advances, the 18.6-mile (30km) long and 3.1-mile (5km) wide glacier is an exceptional sight. It’s met by the turquoise waters of the Canal de los Témpanos (Iceberg Channel) and offset by a backdrop of granite mountains.
Bergen’s brightly-coloured houses are a joyous sight in this wintry landscape. The southwestern Norwegian city, which sees on average more than 200 days of rainfall each year, is arguably at its most stunning when dusted with snow, the stark spines of trees poking out amid mist and low-lying clouds.
Looking at the aptly named Blue Pond, you might be surprised to learn that its striking hue was the result of an accident. The artificial pond, located in Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture, was a by-product of creating a dam at the Biei River and owes its colour to the flowing of Shirahige waterfall over aluminium cliffs. The aluminium settles in the water and reflects the light, resulting in this eye-popping icy blue. Adding to this abundance of ethereal beauty, the bare spines of trees cast a stark reflection on the water.
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Mount Bogong takes its name from an aboriginal word meaning 'high plains' and at 6,516 feet (1,986m) tall it’s the highest mountain in Victoria. Located in Alpine National Park in the Victorian Alps, the mountain looks especially magnificent during a winter sunset, when the last embers of sunlight illuminate its peak and candy-coloured clouds float overhead.
With frost-tipped grasses, snow-speckled peaks and mists that roll through the valley, Loch Lomond’s beauty is only intensified by winter weather. The lake, located in The Trossachs National Park, is 24 miles (39km) long and takes in an array of scenery along its course, from dramatic mountains to low-lying hills.
China’s epic wall, whose best-preserved section stretches for 5,500 miles (8,851km) from east to west, was largely built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), although some sections are believed to date back as far as the 7th century BC. While the most recognisable photographs of the ancient monument show it winding through lush green hills, a light dusting of snow and early morning sunlight lend the wall a mystical charm during winter.
Alpine villages don’t come much prettier than this. Located in southeastern France, near the Italian and Swiss borders, the dainty village of Megève became a popular ski resort in the 1920s and still retains its historic charm. Dotted with wooden chalets and offering stunning views of Mont Blanc, Megève transforms into an idyllic winter wonderland under a soft blanket of snow.
Looking especially atmospheric in this moody shot, the rugged, 3,560-foot (1,085m) high peak of Mount Snowdon casts a statuesque silhouette over Lake Glaslyn in Snowdonia National Park. The highest point in the UK outside of Scotland, Snowdon is actually composed of five main interconnected peaks with basins between them and much of the landscape was carved by glaciers.
With its concertina-like frozen waters and boulders dripping with icicles, Lake Superior has an otherworldly feel to it in this sunset shot. The largest of North America’s five Great Lakes at 350 miles (563km) long and 160 miles (258km) wide at its broadest point, Lake Superior freezes over for months at a time during winter.
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In southeastern Iceland lies a captivating and dynamic lagoon filled with myriad icy forms. Jökulsárlón’s icebergs come from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and some stay in the lagoon for up to five years before drifting down the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river and out to sea. For this reason, no two days in the lagoon look the same – although scenes can't come much more beautiful than this pink-tinged sunrise shot.
The Austrian village of Hallstatt becomes a snowy oasis in the winter. Located in the mountainous Salzkammergut region, Hallstatt is home to some of the world’s oldest salt mines, which date back as far as 4000 BC. The historic town, with its colourful Baroque-style buildings and ornate churches, is brought to life by a flurry of snow when temperatures drop.
A sense of true wilderness prevails at awe-inspiring Rannoch Moor, a 50-square-mile (129sq km) expanse of lochs, bogs and moors between Loch Rannoch and Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands. Also known as the Great Moor of Rannoch, it’s hugely popular with walkers and outdoor enthusiasts thanks to its rugged natural beauty, which is amplified in winter as the moors take on a moody hue and surrounding peaks are dusted with sugary snow.
Towering in the background of this stunning photograph, Hohensalzburg Fortress is one of Salzburg’s most historic attractions with a legacy dating back to the 11th century. The hilltop fortress is also an excellent spot for gazing at views over the city, whose labyrinthine streets are bathed in golden light in this wintry shot.
Historic Prague is breathtaking after a fresh snowfall, when the rooftops of its Gothic buildings are dusted with white and illuminated by pockets of golden light. The Old Town, pictured here, is a maze of cobblestone streets and fairy-tale spires, while the New Town (actually founded in 1348) is a cultural hotspot filled with galleries and theatres.
Beautiful at any time of year, Central Park in the heart of Manhattan takes on a magical aesthetic when adorned with a sprinkling of the white stuff. This scene sees the famous 19th century Gapstow Bridge, one of the best viewpoints to soak up the New York City skyline, shelter a patch of water from the icy temperatures which have otherwise frozen the pond. The usually lush greenery surrounding the iconic bridge creates strange shapes when covered in snow. You might recognise this charming setting from 1992 movie, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York.
Now check out the world-famous landmarks and destinations that look completely different in winter