Every November or so, the northern hemisphere turns to winter. At the same moment, White Desert's Antarctic flights open their only window of the year. Emperor-penguin chicks, the South Pole and the blue rivers each fall on different departure dates. Look north and Sweden's ice hotel begins its one season; Svalbard slips into polar night; an Icelandic hotel waits through the night for the aurora. This issue puts the two sides together: one freezing over, the other just opening up.
- 01Go north as it gets colderFor these places, winter is the real season.
- 02Trains above the snow lineThese lines run through winter; the view outside turns white.
- 03The southern hemisphere is in summerWhen we head into winter, their main season is only just beginning.
- 04The cool season in deserts and gulfsWhere it is hot, the cool season is the one for spending long stretches outdoors.
Winter at high latitude
Skip the Drake Passage, land straight in the Antarctic interior
A private flight from Cape Town lands on the blue-ice runway of the Antarctic interior, bypassing the Drake Passage. The camps are heated; where you go by day depends on the season — emperor-penguin colonies, the South Pole or blue-ice caves, each with its own departure window.
Sleep in a house rebuilt every year
The ice-art space at Jukkasjärvi is rebuilt every year; one room exists for only a single winter. ICEHOTEL 365 keeps part of the ice experience open year-round, but the season is still the through-line here.
Step outside your room and wait for the aurora
Based at a country hotel in south Iceland, with waterfalls, black-sand beach and the highlands all within one drive. From September to April there is a nightly chance of aurora; step outside and you are already at the viewing spot.
Go north as it gets colder
For these places, winter is the real season.
瑞典哈拉兹
Arctic Bath
A circular building floats on the Lule River: cold plunge on the outer ring, sauna at the centre. In winter the river freezes; the Nordic sequence — hot, then straight into ice water — only makes sense with that contrast.
挪威斯瓦尔巴群岛
Isfjord Radio Adventure Hotel
Converted from Svalbard's old radio station, set in true wilderness; getting there is part of the trip. Winter and summer take different routes; polar night and midnight sun are the same view wearing different expressions.
挪威瓦尔达尔
Juvet Landscape Hotel
Glass and timber rooms deliberately step back, leaving the view to the forest and the river valley. The same window shows something different in the morning and in the afternoon.
冰岛特罗拉半岛
Deplar Farm
A converted farm in north Iceland pairs heli-skiing with a warm place to stay under one roof. The season decides what you do — ski, ride, fish or wait for the aurora — and usually you pick only one.
Trains above the snow line
These lines run through winter; the view outside turns white.
瑞士采尔马特至圣莫里茨
Glacier Express
About eight hours across the Swiss Alps: from the foot of the Matterhorn, through the Rhine gorge and the Oberalp Pass, then over the Landwasser viaduct into St Moritz.
瑞士库尔／圣莫里茨—意大利蒂拉诺
Bernina Express
Around four hours, dropping from high alpine glaciers to the palms and vineyards of Italy. One railway joins two climates; no change of train, but the altitude keeps falling.
瑞士因特拉肯至蒙特勒
GoldenPass Express
From the Bernese Highlands to the shore of Lake Geneva: valleys, chalets, vineyards, then the lake at Montreux. One line covers the whole change in terrain; your seat is the frame for the view.
加拿大多伦多至温哥华
The Canadian
Four days and nights across Canada: the Ontario lake country, northern forest, prairie, then the Rockies and Vancouver. You sleep on the train; the window shows the width of a whole country.
The southern hemisphere is in summer
When we head into winter, their main season is only just beginning.
南极半岛与南设得兰群岛
Scenic Eclipse Antarctica
A small expedition vessel crosses the Drake Passage, with Zodiac cruises and landings among icebergs, penguin colonies and bays. November to March is the main Antarctic season in these waters.
智利百内国家公园外缘
Awasi Patagonia
Each villa comes with a 4x4 and a private guide, free of any fixed group route. Patagonia's weather window turns on a dime, so where you go and how long you stay is often decided in the morning.
智利巴塔哥尼亚国家公园
Explora Patagonia National Park
Stay inside Patagonia's national park and understand the wilderness through expert guides and routes of varying difficulty. The southern-hemisphere spring and summer suit longer time outdoors, though the weather can still shift fast.
The cool season in deserts and gulfs
Where it is hot, the cool season is the one for spending long stretches outdoors.
埃及锡瓦绿洲
Adrère Amellal
Built from earth, salt and palm, lit by candle at night. Siwa Oasis is most comfortable in the cooler months; you can stay outdoors for hours by day, and the whole oasis goes quiet after sunset.
纳米比亚纳米布沙漠
Zannier Sonop
A tented camp set among boulders, putting the scale of the Namib Desert first. The temperature swing is marked year-round; the cooler months are the ones for long stretches outdoors.
阿联酋迪拜朱美拉海岸
Burj Al Arab
All duplex suites, a private butler, a sea-level terrace and sky-high restaurants — one or two nights covers them all. October to April is the more comfortable stretch.
阿曼穆桑代姆半岛奇格湾
Six Senses Zighy Bay
Between the Hajar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman; you arrive by off-road track, speedboat or paraglider. October to April is more comfortable; in summer, plan activities around midday.
About this issue
Around November, the northern hemisphere moves into winter while the Antarctic moves into summer — the two windows fall on opposite sides of the year. The cover and the four columns are organised around this offset: at the same moment, the two halves of the world offer completely different things to do.
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