Winter in Europe: Prague, Reykjavík, Abisko, Copenhagen and Venice

Winter changes the character of Europe’s great destinations. Snow settles on Prague’s Gothic towers, Reykjavík steams with geothermal pools under a low Arctic sun, Copenhagen’s harbour glows in the early dark, Venice puts on its masks for Carnival, and above the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland the northern lights dance over Abisko. Here is what makes each of these five places special in the cold season.

Prague in winter: Gothic towers under snow

Prague’s Old Town looks its most atmospheric with snow on the roofs. The skyline is dominated by the Church of Our Lady before Týn, the Old Town’s main church since the 14th century. Its two Gothic towers rise 80 m, each crowned by eight smaller spires, and inside is the 1601 tombstone of the astronomer Tycho Brahe.

Winter is a good season for the city’s museums, concert halls and cafés, and the short days make the lit-up bridges and towers shine early in the evening.

Reykjavík: the world’s northernmost capital

At 64°08′ N, Reykjavík is the northernmost capital of a sovereign state. About 140,000 people live in the city itself and some 250,000 in the capital region, close to two-thirds of Iceland’s population. Between early December and 10 January the day lasts less than five hours, which leaves plenty of darkness for aurora hunting on clear nights outside the city lights.

Winters are milder than the latitude suggests: January’s mean temperature is about 0.7 °C. Every building in Reykjavík is heated geothermally, and the same hot water fills the public pools and hot tubs, such as Laugardalslaug, where locals soak outdoors all winter. Esja, at 914 m the highest mountain near the city, rises across the bay.

Abisko: northern lights in Swedish Lapland

The village of Abisko lies about 200 km north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna Municipality, beside the 330 km² lake Torneträsk. It sits in the rain shadow of the Scandinavian mountains, making it one of the driest places in Sweden. Abisko National Park, founded in 1909, is free of light pollution and ideal for watching the aurora borealis in winter Abisko’s weather station records no sunshine hours at all in December and January.

• Getting there: daily SJ trains between Stockholm and Narvik stop at Abisko Östra and Abisko Turiststation.
• Things to do: a chair-lift climbs Mount Nuolja, and the 425 km Kungsleden trail starts or ends at Abisko Turiststation.
• Science: the Abisko Scientific Research Station is a leading centre for Arctic ecology and climate research.

Plan several nights for aurora watching, as cloud can roll in at any time.

Copenhagen: Nyhavn in the cold season

Copenhagen’s most photographed street is Nyhavn, the canal King Christian V had dug between 1670 and 1675 by Danish soldiers and Swedish prisoners of war. Its sunny northern side is lined with brightly painted townhouses of wood, brick and plaster. The oldest, No. 9, dates from 1681. Hans Christian Andersen lived on Nyhavn for 18 years, at No. 67 and later No. 18.

In winter the bars and restaurants along the quay bring their life indoors, and the canal’s colours stand out against grey skies and early dusk.

Venice: Carnival season and quiet canals

The Carnival of Venice ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins, so it falls in February or early March. Legend ties it to the Venetian Republic’s victory over Patriarch Ulrich II of Aquileia in 1162. It was banned in 1797 under Emperor Francis II and revived in 1979, and it now draws about 3 million visitors a year.

• Bauta: a mask with no mouth and a prominent chin, so the wearer could eat and drink, worn with a tricorn hat and cape.
• Moretta: a small black velvet oval worn by patrician women.
• Medico della peste: the beaked white plague-doctor mask.

A contest for la maschera più bella, the most beautiful mask, is judged by international costume and fashion designers. Outside Carnival weeks, winter Venice is calm, and the gondolas rest along empty waterfronts.

Related reading

• Helsinki’s lights and warm indoor stops
• Tromsø
• Copenhagen: Waterfronts, Historic Districts and the City Beyond the Centre
• Åreskutan’s Ice-Covered Lift: A Winter Photograph by Anders Carlsson
• Ten Iceland Experiences: Waterfalls, Glaciers, Hot Springs and City Life
• Erez Marom’s Iceland Landscapes: Ice, Water and Unusual Light
• Twenty European Places: Landscapes, Architecture and Cultural Heritage

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