FROM SIPPING DOM BETWEEN NIBBLES OF KRISTAL CAVIAR IN A MILLENNIA-OLD ICE CAVE TO WATCHING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS SKIP ACROSS THE NORDIC SKY FROM YOUR PRIVATE FINNISH RETREAT, THESE WONDROUS WINTERTIDE EXPERIENCES ARE PURE MAGIC
BY AMANDA McCOY
FOUR SEASONS GLACIER TABLE
Whistler, Canada
Cradled by the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, just 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean and two hours north of Canada, Whistler is a postcard of snow capped peaks, dense conifer forests, mirror-calm lakes, and magnificent ancient glaciers and ice caves (some that even impossibly cling to granite cliffs). Four Seasons Whistler offers the opportunity to clink glasses of vintage champagne in one of the most remote and bewildering dining rooms in the world in its Glacier Table Experience. Guests are whisked away by snowcat to a remote, candlelit table set directly on glacial ground, surrounded by icy walls with 10,000 years of secrets to share. Designed as an intimate, year-round affair (excluding August through October), the experience pairs the rugged grandeur of the Coast Mountains with first-class hospitality. As your table is prepared, spa therapists work wonders on your shoulders and back in the crisp alpine air, while sapphire-hued ice formations glow in the distance. Next up: a tasting journey through Kristal Caviar, accompanied by a bottle of Dom Pérignon 2013 Vintage served chilled, of course, courtesy of the glacier. It’s a spectacle indeed, but not one that relies on modern technology or digital effects; here, the theater is Mother Nature, yielding cinematic drama more than a millennia in the making. Prices begin at $20,397. fourseasons.com/whistler/ experiences/airborne-adventures/the-glacier-table
JIGOKUDANI SNOW MONKEY PARK
Nagano, Japan
Buried deep in the forested mountains of Nagano, Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park offers one of Japan’s most quietly mesmerizing wildlife encounters. A short walk along a snow-dusted trail leads visitors into a narrow, steam-filled valley where wild Japanese macaques famed for their expressive faces and thick winter coats gather around natural hot springs to soak, groom, and socialize. These monkeys are fully wild yet remarkably unbothered by human presence, allowing for close observation as they sink blissfully into the mineral-rich waters, especially during the coldest months when snow clings to tree branches and the riverbanks freeze over. The park is at its most magical in winter, when rising steam, falling snow, and the monkeys’ calm rituals create a scene that feels both intimate and timeless.
Just outside the park, Kanbayashi Hotel Senjukaku serves as a refined home base that balances traditional Japanese hospitality with understated luxury. One of the region’s most historic ryokans (a traditional Japanese inn), the property is known for its expansive, impeccably maintained onsen baths (both indoor and open-air) fed by the same geothermal waters that draw the monkeys upstream. Guestrooms are serene and spacious, dressed with tatami mats and sliding shoji screens, and some even feature private outdoor onsen baths on the balcony. The multi-course kaiseki dinners are a highlight, showcasing Japanese heritage through seasonal, mountain-influenced dishes like Golden Gamefowl chicken and Shinshu beef made from apple-fed Nagano cows, all prepared with meticulous care. senjukaku.com, snowmonkeyresorts.com
OTAVA LODGE
Rovaniemi, Finland
In the fairytale, snow-blanketed forest outside Rovaniemi, Otava Lodge offers a quietly spectacular escape that presents polar stillness as the main event. While there are several stunning resorts in the Finnish Arctic, this intimate, family-run wilderness retreat is designed for just one group at a time, giving guests exclusive access to a handcrafted log lodge surrounded by frozen lakes, towering pines, and some of Lapland’s darkest skies.
The three-story lodge is equipped with five private en-suite bedrooms, plus a formal dining room with fireplace and a media lounge to curl up for movie night. The greatest show, however, lies outside, where the star-studded Arctic sky often ignites with the Northern Lights. Evenings unfold around a long wooden table set with locally sourced Finnish cuisine reindeer, freshwater fish, wild berries, and seasonal vegetables prepared simply and thoughtfully to honor the region’s traditions. After dinner, guests can slip into a large wood-fired sauna, or soak
in the al-fresco hot tub as auroras swirl overhead. otavalodge.com
HEAVEN & HELL SPA
Dolomites, Italy
Perched amidst the Italian Dolomites’ rugged beauty, this deliciously dichotomous wellness experience at the five-star Hotel Hubertus is a play on contrasts that feels perfectly (and spiritually) balanced. Accessible via a filigree walkway from the hotel’s relaxation room, Heaven and Hell spa is rendered as a suspended steel platform with opposing stories – one designed for peaceful floating amid the snow-capped peaks, the other for heat-intensive detox.
The “Heaven” experience, located on the platform’s upper level, features lie-down and seated whirlpools overlooking the rugged expanse, plus a pair of panoramic-view showers. It’s a place to relax, breathe deep, and let the mountains’ quiet grandeur settle into your bones.
After your soak, take the stairway down to “Hell,” the gravity-defying lower portion composed of steeply pitched pyramid structures that point straight toward the ground, some 50 feet away. Here, things get heated, with two nude saunas and a nude whirlpool, all boasting a different perspective of the mountainous region. Gottfried Gruber of Noa Architects described the experience as a “descent into the center of the earth, with the poles reversing.” It’s wellness turned upside-down, and the effect is elemental – a reminder of fire and water, hot and cold, in dialogue with one another.