Europe's Best Winter Getaways (PHOTOS)

The concept of a European winter getaway is changing. Seaside towns and off-season resort areas are seeing an uptick of visitors who come for digital detoxes and crowd-free retreats that can cost a quarter as much as a ski weekend. Sagres, in Portugal, for instance, is experiencing an increase in visitors, namely golfers seeking a bit of cool January sun and surfers coming for the winter swells.
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Europeans have dreamt up many definitions of cozy. Denmark has hygge, a concept that evokes "coziness when relaxing with good friends." Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have gemütlich, which translates to "comfortably homey." And Bulgaria has its уют, which means "snug."

Still, the concept of a European winter getaway is changing. Seaside towns and off-season resort areas are seeing an uptick of visitors who come for digital detoxes and crowd-free retreats that can cost a quarter as much as a ski weekend. Sagres, in Portugal, for instance, is experiencing an increase in visitors, namely golfers seeking a bit of cool January sun and surfers coming for the winter swells. Croatia's Istrian coast, meanwhile, attracts flocks of Zagreb creative types thanks to the significant off-season savings at its seaside and design-forward hotels.

Find out why there's no winter like a European winter--especially in these towns.

--With reporting by Adam H. Graham, Alexandra Marshall, Brooke Porter Katz, Ingrid K. Williams, Sarah Miller and Valerie Waterhouse.

Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland

Europe's Best Winter Getaways

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