Winter Destinations: Where To Go This Xmas Break (PHOTOS, POLL)

As we edge into winter, we here at the Huffington Post have to dig out our bulky coats, realize we lost our hat on the subway last spring and never bought a new one, and wonder when we will finally get around to buying shoes suitable for snow.

The inevitable consequence of this is wishing we were somewhere else. Anywhere else.

So we compiled this list of places we'd like to visit this winter. Where would you like to go? Suggest more places for us -- we're especially interested in unheard of gems that we can get to before the masses.

Where would you like to be this winter? Let us know. We are looking to find the most exciting destinations for the colder months.

Winter Breaks

 

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St. Petersburg, Russia

The former capital of Russia has a regal, imperial atmosphere, somewhat detached from the Moscow's occasionally tacky feel of oil money. Nevsky Prospekt, the street that runs through the city, full to bursting point with cathedrals, bridges, nightclubs and museums, such as the Hermitage, pictured here, housed in the city's former palaces. The city is particularly beautiful in winter, when ice covers the city's rivers and canals (for which, incidentally, the city was once known as "Venice of the North").

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Comments

[hurtle1969]

03:35 PM on 11/06/2009

for all those going, or interesting in going, to the fair and frosty city of krakow, you really should read the novel, 'Winter Under Water' (Picador) by James Hopkin. a great book which really captures the magic, beauty of vodka-vapours of the place!

[MosheDayanHero]

02:27 PM on 11/05/2009

Those who post about the Scandinavian countries remind me of that hilarious Monty Python song:

Finland, Finland, Finland
The country where I quite want to be
Pony trekking or camping
Or just watching TV

You're so near to Russia
So far from Japan
Quite a long way from Cairo
Lots of miles from Vietnam

Finland, Finland, Finland
The country where I want to be
Eating breakfast or dinner
Or snack lunch in the hall

Finland, Finland, Finland
Finland has it all

You're so sadly neglected
And often ignored
A poor second to Belgium
When going abroad

Finland, Finland, Finland
Finland has it all

[MosheDayanHero]

02:22 PM on 11/05/2009

St. Petersburg is the best spring destination ( White Nights).
Not winter.Surrounded by water on all sides and freezing winds... Brrrrrr.....

Vienna is the best Xmas winter destination. Period. A Stephansdom in the twilight. The Ring, opera season,
Getting comfy next to the heater on the Straßenbahn.

Hanoi would be a 1000th choice. Who wants more sticky heat?

[geshrwh]

12:27 PM on 11/05/2009

Most people's response when we said we were going to Iceland was "why"? Thirty-six years ago, on our first trip to Europe(our wedding trip), we took Icelandair and stopped at Reykjavek for 45 minutes. On the return home, we again stopped at Reykjavek and were offered a special package to stay for the two days to see the land of fire and ice. We didn’t do so but have often thought it might be an interesting place to visit one day. It was always extremely expensive and thus, we didn’t go. With the financial collapse of Iceland, in the fall of 2008, the exchange rate became very positive for the American dollar. Things were 1/2 the price they had been the year before...time was right for a visit to Iceland. AARP and the Boston Globe recently listed Iceland as a place for Americans to visit...I'm glad we did.
Read my travelogue for ideas of things to see and do: http://www.gailhennessey.com/index.shtml?gailsglimmerings.html

[bma83]

10:26 AM on 11/04/2009

I'm going to Stockholm in December and I can't wait!

[susanhb]

02:41 AM on 11/03/2009

Winter vacation and nobody mentions any of the scandinavian countries? Sweden may be too expensive,but the rest are perfect for the holiday seasons.Prague in the Czech republic is much prettier and culturally way above anything in Poland. i can see getting away for a week on the beach during the long winter,but spending holidays in India,Korea,Vietnam? Somehow has a touch of wanting to be eccentric but fails. Winter holidays without snow is sad. Unless you have a margarita with JImmy Buffet on the beach,but then you obviously hate christmas anyway.
Cold nose,cold toes, coming in to a warm holiday fire am I really a minority to love and miss it?

[waldenpp]

09:39 AM on 11/03/2009

Way above anything in Poland? Krakow is beautiful you doof.

[Steamboater]

02:29 AM on 11/03/2009

No mention of Paris? Any time of year that city is a great place to visit. I once told my sister to visit Marrakesh Morocco although I had never been there but was swayed by the romantic and even slightly decadent nature of it's history and she went, in December or January; I forget. Everyone was out of town and the hotel was practically empty. She still has;'t forgiven me for that. LOL

[Steamboater]

02:14 AM on 11/03/2009

I wouldn't go to Russia in winter. I was there in April and that was cold enough, bone chilling in fact. I visited that palace that palace in the pic that Catherine the Great omnce reigned over and it's enormous, very grand and incredibly beautiful. The grand staircase alone is worth the visit with white marble (?) stairs and laid with a ong red carpet. The rooms upstairs are many one just has you trying to gulp for air because it's so breathtaking. The ceilings and walls are gold gilt and lined with master paintings of various sizes. Too bad it was built on the misery of the people.

Prague is another place that's always beautiful and unlike Russia with delightful people. Of course, Berlin is exciting too with a lot of very hip people and like New York or San Francisco has anything you want and I mean anything.

[IrishTaco]

01:11 AM on 11/03/2009

....If you are rich and can afford it.

[epiphany1234]

11:50 PM on 11/02/2009

Gosh, Berlin in the winter time looks so wonderful!

Want to buy my ticket right now!

[d sully]

11:14 PM on 11/02/2009

That's not a picture of the Hermitage. That's the Summer Palace in Pushkin, just south of Petersburg. Still beautiful, though.

[bobo5]

09:16 PM on 11/02/2009

I am going to Peru. Lima, Cuzco, and Mancora are the destinations.

[missviv]

07:33 PM on 11/02/2009

I've saved my pennies and at last, at long last will be in Berlin this coming January. I can't wait! Thanks Huffpo for making me even more anxious!

[Samalex]

06:36 PM on 11/02/2009

So HP had some random photos laying around and a random topic - seems to be the only explanation for the choices.

[OneTop]

07:21 PM on 11/02/2009

x 2

[Maher-shalal-hash-baz]

05:56 PM on 11/02/2009

In the winter I am not going to a cold place on vacation!
BTW it's Christmas not Xmas

[Nikevich]

09:12 PM on 11/02/2009

"Xmas" is not a casual, careless abbreviation. That "X" looks just like a Greek [chi], which was Medieval shorthand, so to speak, for "Christ". It's a lot more respectful than one might think at first. Just now, I don't recall any detail, but am fairly sure that a Greek [chi] appears below some religious images in some Christian ("Xian") churches. ("Xian", in China, is very different...)
HTH,
[n]