18 Winter Wonderlands That Put the North Pole to Shame

You don’t need to trek to the Arctic to catch a glimpse of what makes the winter season so magical -- crisp and clean air, blue skies set against a sea of white and enough snow activities to keep you off the couch and busy for weeks on end. From the craggy peaks of Twizel (you’ll recognize them from Lord of the Rings) and South Tyrol to the more charming views of Shirakawa, Japan, there are views and landscapes for just about anyone. To keep you in the seasonal spirit for months to come, we've rounded up some of the most impressive winter images from around the globe.

Salzburg, Austria

 

A post shared by Salzburg (@salzburg_official) on Mar 17, 2017 at 12:23am PDT

Shirakawa, Japan

 

A post shared by Sushi Kimchi (@sushi2kimchi) on Dec 8, 2017 at 11:21pm PST

Leavenworth, Washington

 

A post shared by Michael (@michaelbosmann) on Dec 10, 2017 at 11:53am PST

Bled, Slovenia

 

A post shared by Bled, Slovenia (@bledlake) on Dec 10, 2017 at 7:44am PST

Tromso, Norway

 

A post shared by Wander & Wonder By 9GAG (@wanderandwonder) on Mar 27, 2018 at 7:11pm PDT

Lapland, Finland

 

A post shared by Visit Lapland (@visitlapland) on Nov 30, 2017 at 5:51am PST

Girdwood, Alaska

 

A post shared by Chris Davila (@davilafoto) on Dec 11, 2017 at 6:31am PST

Twizel, New Zealand

 

A post shared by New Zealand (@newzealandguide) on Jul 17, 2017 at 12:58pm PDT

Anchorage, Alaska

 

A post shared by Patrick Thun (@patrickthunphoto) on Dec 6, 2017 at 10:58am PST

Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy

 

A post shared by Claudio Bezerra - (@cbezerraphotos) on Dec 7, 2017 at 6:44am PST

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

 

A post shared by Dan S 📷🍁 💪 🚲 (@danschyk) on Mar 28, 2018 at 11:31am PDT

Purcell Mountains, British Columbia, Canada

 

A post shared by National Geographic Travel (@natgeotravel) on Feb 27, 2017 at 10:08am PST

Yellowstone National Park, USA

 

A post shared by visitmontana (@visitmontana) on Dec 6, 2017 at 8:21pm PST

Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

A post shared by Estes Park, Colorado (@estesparkcolorado) on Dec 9, 2017 at 12:04pm PST

Jackson, Wyoming

 

A post shared by B Gately Williams (@gatelywilliams) on Dec 10, 2017 at 1:25pm PST

Harbin, China

 

A post shared by Seven World Tours (@sevenworldtours) on Dec 12, 2017 at 12:11am PST

Lochaber, Scotland

 

A post shared by Janey Kennedy (@janeykennedy) on Mar 20, 2018 at 1:44am PDT

Skaftafell, Vatnajokull National Park, Iceland

 

A post shared by 贵格陈 (@gregchen1985) on Dec 1, 2017 at 11:08pm PST

Ashley Bess is an editor turned freelancer writer who describers herself as short, opinionated, recently repatriated, lover of gin and travel and with a head full of useless song lyrics and movie quotes.