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Sleigh rides in Zakopane, Poland
Saddle up for sleigh rides, strap in for a 220-metre illuminated toboggan run, and prepare to get lost in an ice-carved maze at the Snowland theme park in Zakopane, as Poland’s winter capital sparkles up for the season. Pair a snowy walk through the Chochołowska valley with a visit to the Chochołowskie thermal baths, with outdoor pools, sauna, balneotherapy and massage treatments. Stay at the Hotel Aries, which mixes classic Alpine design with Zakopane touches (local wine and traditional dishes in the Halka restaurant, furniture and rugs by local craftspeople), and don’t miss the world’s largest snow maze and the Palace of the Snow Queen in the Snowlandia theme park, which has individual chambers sculpted from snow and ice by local artists.
Doubles at Hotel Aries from £165 B&B. Zakopane is around two hours from Krakow by bus; the hotel is a 1km taxi ride from the station
Snowmobiling in Montenegro
A winter adventure doesn’t have to mean hurtling downhill at breakneck speed. Montenegro’s Durmitor national park offers snowmobiling through the Sinjajevina and Bjelasica mountains, white-water rafting and snowshoeing trails. Žabljak makes an ideal base. The highest small town in the Balkans, it is surrounded by glacial lakes that freeze in winter, and Black Lake (3km away) is a famous viewing point for the park’s spectacular night sky. Cosy Hotel Soa has a wellness centre with a hammam and Finnish sauna, and a fire-lit lounge with dramatic mountain views.
Doubles at Hotel Soa (hotelsoa.com) from €98 B&B. Žabljak is two and a half hours from the capital, Podgorica, by bus
Lakes and valleys in Slovenia
Discover a different side of the Alps on a four-night break to Slovenia, which combines one night in the buzzy capital, Ljubljana, with time exploring the forested landscapes and snowy peaks of the Triglav national park, Lake Bled and the Logar Valley. The scenic train ride through the Julian Alps from Bohinj to Most na Soči, on a rocky crest overlooking the Soča and Idrica rivers, is a highlight, as is a visit to Kranjska Gora, where the fairy-lit chalets and snow-capped pines feel straight out of the Austrian Tirol. After exploring, there are two nights in the peaceful Logar Valley, latticed with hiking trails, with thermal spa treatments on offer at the Hotel Plesik.
Four-night break from Untravelled Paths £974pp, B&B, including all transfers and excursions.
Trains and trekking in St Moritz, Switzerland
It’s all glitz in St Moritz, right? Well, no: perhaps surprisingly, it is possible to enjoy the glorious landscapes of the Upper Engadine without spending a fortune. Randolins, set above the resort on the Suvretta hillside, is one of Switzerland’s snow sports hotels, offering everything from cross-country skiing and horse-drawn carriage rides to snowy hikes from the door, along with an expansive wellness centre (including an 80C Finnish sauna) and two restaurants. It’s also the perfect base for exploring the region’s spectacular mountain railways; both the Glacier and the Bernina Express – which climbs to 2,250 metres – stop at St Moritz station. Booking in advance is essential for both.
Doubles at Randolins from £174 B&B. There are direct trains from Zurich to St Moritz (four hours)
Snowshoeing in the Lechtal, Austria
Few places can beat Austria for snowy landscapes, and there is plenty of Tirolean countryside to explore away from the busy ski resorts. This week of guided walking is tailored to take advantage of the trails that provide the best conditions on any given day, with snowshoes offering opportunities to access pristine sections unreachable in normal walking boots. Lunches are in traditional mountain Hütten (perhaps a cheesy Käsespätzle with crispy onions, or a bowl of Gulasch) and base is the charming Hotel Grüner Baum, in the high Alpine village of Bach im Lechtal. The highlight is a torchlit evening walk, with plenty of warming Glühwein.
A week’s guided walking from Ramble Worldwide, departing in January 2026, from £1,189pp half-board, including transfers, equipment and a tour leader
Cheese caves and chateaux in Annecy, France
Surrounded by dramatic peaks, and with a direct train connection from Paris (four hours), Annecy is that rare thing – a lake town that offers as much in winter as in summer. Boat trips run all year, while the voie verte greenway offers easy cycling and walking along the western lakeshore. Catch the bus to the Aravis mountains, where reblochon cheese is made and matured in cheese caves at the village of Manigod (guided tours available). The nearby Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard is spectacular; 1,000-year-old turrets soaring up out of the forest. Stay at newly opened La Cour du 6 in the old town, with a sleek, art deco feel to the elegant rooms.
Doubles at La Cour du 6 from €100
A farmstay in the Trentino, Italy
There are just three bedrooms at Pimont Alpine Chalet, a gloriously tranquil esercizio rurale, a traditional farmstead surrounded by the rough-hewn peaks of the Adamello Brenta nature park. Days begin with an organic, locally sourced breakfast – including homemade bread, cakes and jam – in the cosy stube, which becomes a firelit lounge in the evening. The emphasis at Pimont is on slow-paced exploration. The owners are mountain guides who can accompany guests on hikes or advise on the best trails for independent walking. The nearby ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio offers ice-skating on the frozen Conca Verde lake, with dog-sledding through the surrounding forest.
Doubles at Pimont Alpine Chalet from €180 B&B. The nearest station is Trento, an hour and a half away by car
Sleigh rides in Sweden
Snow White herself wouldn’t have turned her nose up at Gammelgården; a picture-perfect cluster of restored log buildings, some dating back to the 1600s. Perched high up in the Sälen mountains, in the unspoilt Dalarna region 250 miles (400km) north-west of Stockholm, it’s the kind of place where it’s easy to settle in front of the fire and not move for days. There’s also plenty to do, with reindeer walks, dog-sledding, sleigh rides and snowmobile excursions, while back at base, a visit to the 400-year-old waffle cabin is not to be missed. Carnivores will love the evening menu, with a focus on local game (reindeer tataki or venison sirloin), but there are fish dishes and a veggie option too.
Doubles at Gammelgården from £110 B&B. The nearest train station is Mora, with direct bus connections to Sälen (two hours)
Hiking and hearty mountain food in Germany
Sandstone cliffs, dramatic gorges, flat-topped mesas – it’s a mystery as to why the spectacular landscapes of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in eastern Germany remain so under the radar. This self-guided walking tour through “Saxon Switzerland”, as it’s called, takes in quiet villages of timber-framed cottages and dense pine forest, cloaking the peaks that sweep up to the sandstone spires. The trip begins in the spa town of Bad Schandau, home to the spectacular, 11-metre-high Kuhstall rock gate and the beautiful Lichtenhain waterfall. En route, expect hearty lunches of Spätzle (noodles), sausage and lentil soup, and marzipan cakes, at traditional Berggasthofs (mountain inns).
Five-night breaks from Walks Worldwide (walksworldwide.com) from £619 half-board, including luggage transfers, GPX and walking maps. Departures between November and March
Culinary Vercors in France
Active breaks are all very well, but sometimes a winter holiday needs nothing more than good food, great views and an indulgently comfortable place to stay. Opening for its winter season on 12 December, the lovely Hotel du Golf – a converted farmhouse in the village of Correncon, tucked away in the Vercors national park, ticks all the boxes. Its restaurant, Asterales, won a Michelin star this year, the wood-panelled bedrooms are chic and unfussy, and the hot tub, pool and sauna are a cocoon of warmth after a foray outdoors. Foodies should book a table at Palégrié, where everything is cooked over an open fire, and Le Clariant, an isolated, self-sufficient restaurant, buried deep in the Vercors forest.
Doubles at Hotel du Golf (hotel-du-golf-vercors.fr) from €156 B&B. Correncon is 40 minutes’ drive south of Grenoble
