Eight unsung snowy destinations for a winter wonderland holiday

Winter has made its bitter arrival in the northern hemisphere, bringing with it dreams of snow-dusted days spent sledging and skiing.

Unfortunately, it would be foolish to rely on the UK weather for a white Christmas. Instead, travellers tend to ditch the drizzle for frosty escapades in the French Alps and twinkly breaks to markets in some of Europe’s most popular cities.

But snow seekers should look beyond the big-hitters this season.

From the winter wilds of Greece, Spain and Turkey to adventures in Swedish Lapland, our travel writers have gone far and wide to hit the pistes and stew in saunas. We’ve rounded up some of the best trips for an idyllic snowflake fix.

Read more: Quiet islands to visit away from crowded holiday hotspots

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Some winter wonderlands don’t need to be seen to be felt, as blind traveller Sassy Wyatt found on a cruise around Alaska. Sassy writes: “In Skagway, I zipped through the trees on a high-wire course. The guides explained the layout, gave me clear verbal cues, and clipped me in without fuss. I soared through the spruce canopy with my arms wide, heart thudding. I didn’t see the view, but I felt it. And from the way they described it – the sharp green of the trees, the silver streaks of the river below – I built the picture in my mind.”

Read more: I’m blind and this is my experience on a cruise around Alaska

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Arachova, a mountain town two hours from Athens, is a maze of cobbled streets and rustic tavernas with a budget-friendly ski scene. It’s here that Heidi Fuller-Love frolicked in steaming rivers, chowed down on meze and strapped on touring skis to enjoy the more wild Greek winter.

Heidi says: “Strapping on touring skis, we went cross-country, swishing for five hours over thick blankets of pristine snow while enjoying spectacular views of the Aegean Sea glittering far below – all without seeing another soul.”

Read more: Why you need to head for the Greek ski slopes this winter

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Iceland is feeling the strain of overtourism, from busy Reykjavik to the coachloads of snow-seekers that descend on the Golden Circle. However, travel writer Suzy Pope says it’s possible to escape the hoards if you venture up to the island’s more remote north – specifically the “Diamond Circle” outside the town of Akureyri.

According to Suzy, it won’t be long before those drawn to Iceland’s otherworldly landscapes find their way to the spot. “The Diamond Circle passes the expanse of Lake Myvatn, sparkling teal against the volcanic landscape.

“Lake Myvatn is home to a geothermal lagoon just as milky blue and ethereal-looking as the south’s famous Blue Lagoon. Like its southern sister, Myvatn Nature Baths are geothermally heated pools created by run-off from a nearby geothermal power station. The silica-rich water is a natural by-product and perfectly safe to bathe in.”

Read more: The natural wonders of North Iceland’s Diamond Circle

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A couple of hours from Tokyo by bullet train, the mountains of Shiga Kogen in the highlands of Nagano Prefecture offer ski slopes with soul across 18 resorts, all covered by a single ski pass.

ForThe Independent’s global travel editor Annabel Grossman, a visit to the peaks and Yamanouchi’s healing hot springs was “truly wondrous”. She writes: “The lifts are older, the infrastructure is not as modern, and the rental gear is rather dated, but the ski access is excellent and you feel a world away from the commercialised resorts in North America. Here, you’ll step off the slopes and eat sukiyaki udon and tonjiru in the cafes and sip on sake for your aprés.”

Read more: I skied Japan’s most and least westernised resorts

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If you long for a Lapland experience free from Santa and frosty hunts for the northern lights, Harriet Mallinson says Sweden’s far north is a playground for earthly adventures. On a visit to coastal Luleå, she found icy activities beyond the aurora borealis.

“One doesn’t need to be in the freeze to enjoy the Arctic’s adventures. I have a whale of a time trying my hand at ice fishing. I don shoe grip spikes and stride off like a modern-day Shackleton across the solid sea,” she says of her new set of Swedish survival skills.

Read more: The Arctic adventure so thrilling I forgot to look for the northern lights

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According to Mind, one in four people will experience a mental health challenge each year. Travel writer Yvette Cook went to reset in Finland’s second city in a bid to understand sauna culture.

Yvette writes: “It’s becoming apparent that in Finland, no sauna experience is the same. In an isolated yurt at the Rauhaniemi folk spa, for example, I seek solace, rather than conversation. The interior is lit only by the glow of a wood-burning stove, so I feel my way around the benches to find a place to lie down. I fall into a trance-like state as I listen to the fire’s roar and imagine globules of water jumping off the hot stones.

“To cool down, I walk to the icy lake and climb down a wooden ladder until my feet touch solid ice beneath the surface of the water. The deeper I descend, the less painful the sensation is, and I feel euphoric that I have given myself to this experience.”

Read more: How this Finnish ‘sauna capital of the world’ helped me recover from burnout

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Away from the fast-paced French Alps, the Pre-Pyrenees are full of camping, cross-country skiing and truffles just an hour and a half north of Barcelona.

Journalist Rebecca Miles made the trip and discovered something slower at Forest Days Wild Camping: “Here, secluded among the pine forests of the Ora Valley, are four five-metre bell tents made from thick cotton, a communal camp kitchen, and a rustic but smart shower block and larder. The latter is the only part of the site on-grid, the rest is firmly off, with plenty of solar-powered lights, log-burning stoves and an endless stack of firewood to provide the home comforts.”

From there, ski weekends start a 40-minute drive away at two of Catalonia’s 10 resorts, Tuixent and Port del Comte. Think après ski “Catalonia style”, with truffle hunting and wine tasting on the menu.

Read more: Why you should swap the French Alps for a slowed-down ski holiday in Catalonia

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It turns out there’s more to Turkey than sun, sand and cosmopolitan cities. In snow-capped Sarıkamış-Kars, an alpine region in the far north-east, it’s quite the opposite. Writer Maryann Wright travelled to lesser-trodden Turkey to find a landscape of black pine forests poking out of the powdery mountains.

Maryann says: “Sarıkamış-Kars might just be Turkey’s best-kept secret. It’s an adventurers’ theme park with ski slopes offering perfect ‘crystal snow’, rivalled only by the Swiss Alps, but at a fraction of the price; almost untouched national parks filled with grizzly bears, wolves and lynxes; world-famous delicacies like local honey and cheese; and ancient cultural wonders that expand your understanding of Anatolia and its unique position as connector of East and West.”

But, with “near-perfect ski conditions” and flavours from slow-cooked kaz (goose) to sahlep, a traditional sugary milk drink, she warns Sarıkamış-Kars may not stay a hidden gem for long.

Read more: Turkey's best-kept secret lies in its northeast playground of perfect snow