24 of the very best winter adventures for 2026

10. Visit a Winter Olympics host metropolis

Is Cortina essentially the most spectacularly set city in Italy’s northern mountains? Encircled by a crown of snowy peaks, the ‘queen of the Dolomites’ is gearing as much as host the 2026 Winter Olympics, which is able to deliver additional sparkle to this ritzy Italian mountain city. And whereas there may be fierce competitors between the eight northern Italian locations chosen to host the Winter Olympics, solely the vast Ampezzo Valley surrounding Cortina permits for epic street-to-summit views of the craggy massifs, rising like sheer partitions from surrounding forest. Big-name style shops like Dior, Prada and Moncler line its Corso Italia, and even past this pedestrian artery the city has glitz. As a favoured retreat amongst Italy’s previous cash — and, more and more, loads of new — the city has attracted funding since lengthy earlier than the 2026 Olympics. The Games had been additionally held right here in 1956, and a revamp of present infrastructure has seen an overhaul of its Olympic Ice Stadium — retaining a lot of the unique wood seating, to create a comfortable wood-cabin vibe for the curling occasions.

11. Take a multi-stop ski journey in Scandinavia

Scandinavia may not boast the mighty peaks, lengthy pistes and big ski domains that different locations in Europe take pleasure in, however what the area lacks in skiable miles, it greater than makes up for in storybook attraction with some epic and assorted snowboarding. In some ways, neighbours Sweden and Norway are very related, rolling snow-covered hills, cosy wood cabins hidden among the many spruce forests and a seemingly infinite provide of freshly cooked waffles. But on the subject of snowboarding, the 2 nations are fairly totally different: Sweden excels at family-friendly snowboarding whereas Norway gives extra in depth and difficult ski terrain. Experience them collectively, and also you’ll discover that they complement one another completely.

12. Lift off for the Swiss ski slopes

The world’s steepest cable automotive might be accomplished in Mürren this winter, giving skiers quicker entry to the best pistes of Switzerland’s well-known Jungfrau area, an space so snow-sure it solely closes in May. So now you possibly can comfortably ski there from Wengen — within the shadow of the Eiger’s imposing north face — and Grindelwald in someday. Only one resident is sad — Ernst Blofeld, whose hideout within the well-known Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service can now be simply reached by cable automotive from the valley, supplying you with time to take pleasure in a martini — shaken, not stirred — within the Piz Gloria restaurant. It’s all a part of the attraction when visiting a rustic the place scenic railways make travelling an journey in itself, and the place there’s different apres-ski motion in a number of mountain actions.

13. Ski in North America’s largest resort

Canada’s Whistler-Blackcomb is the North American ski resort you dream about. The largest on the continent encompasses two mountains, a Herculean raise community, greater than 200 marked pistes and a good-looking purpose-built base village — ultimate for joyful hour boozing and high-end eating. This British Columbia resort celebrates 60 years of mountain tradition this season, whereas the village itself is marking its fiftieth anniversary. Whistler Museum, in the meantime, is ratcheting up nostalgia, with reveals on the creation of the resort and the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, when the area first grabbed world consideration.

14. Access Paradiski & Les Arcs by prepare

Even with out contemplating its entry by way of ski prepare companies, Les Arcs may be very effectively served by common TGV trains that whisk passengers throughout France from Paris and Lyon depositing them in Bourg-Saint-Maurice — gateway to a few of the nation’s greatest ski resorts. A speedy funicular runs from the station offering a seamless, car-free hyperlink to compact Arc 1600, the unique resort of the Les Arcs ski space. With a further three villages to ski into plus entry to the big, interconnected Paradiski space, that is doubtless one of many best French resorts to take pleasure in by prepare.