Need a cure for your winter wanderlust? Check out our editors’ list of the Best Winter Trips. We've assembled a world of reasons to travel this season, starting with a European city with Old World charm. — Fadi.
Vilnius, Lithuania
If you use only one word to describe Vilnius, what would that be?
Diverse. The city has history as long as Athens or Rome do and everything that was best came to Vilnius for dukes and kings splashed out for it. Lithuania, as the Great Duchy of Lithuania, was the largest country in Europe. It was influenced by many cultures and traditions, so one can see rich architectural and artistic heritage in Vilnius, the capital city.
With its medieval layout, baroque cityscape, and cobblestone streets, the heart of Lithuania’s capital city, Vilnius, charms in any season of the year. But add a dusting of snow to the castles, Gothic churches, and red-tile roofs, and the Vilnius Historic Center, or Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage site), becomes an utterly enchanting winter wonderland.
“I love seeing the frozen River Neris in the middle of the beautiful Old Town,” says Vilnius resident Inga Aukselyte. “Every time I cross one of the bridges I notice the glaciers [ice floe] quietly flowing through the town. It is especially romantic in the evening when all the city lights are on.”
Celebrate winter in Vilnius at seasonal events such as the free Christmas in the Capital (November 27 to January 6); performances of "TheNutcracker" at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre; and aThree Kings Procession from the Gate of Dawn toward Cathedral Square (January 6). There’s also a Winter Safari on Snowmobile through nearby national park forest trails and across snow-covered fields and frozen lakes.
How to Get Around: Vilnius Airport is fewer than four miles south of the city. Take light rail from the airport to the Vilnius Railway Station, or bus 88 from the airport to Old Town. Walking is the best way to travel around Old Town and to nearby center city attractions.
Where to Stay: The 18-room Moon Garden Art Hotel is close to the Gate of Dawn, the only remaining gate from Old Town's original 16th-century city wall. Book a room through the hotel website for a free ride from the airport, and ask for help with your luggage—there’s no elevator. A larger Old Town option is the 118-room Artis Hotel. The popular conference hotel is located near the Presidential Palace. Rates include a buffet breakfast.
What to Eat or Drink: The menu at Old Town’s Ertlio Namas celebrates the traditions of early Lithuania. Dishes such as sturgeon with mustard sauce and veal with steamed root vegetables are based on recipes from the 17th to 19th century. Reservations recommended.
What to Buy: Locals keep their hands warm by wearing thick wool mittens knit in snowflake and geometric patterns. Buy a pair (and wool sweaters, hats, and scarves) at Wool House, a family-owned traditional woolen-wear enterprise originally founded in 1936 and revived in 1988.
What to Read Before You Go: Ellen Cassedy’s award-winning memoirWe Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust details her efforts to learn Yiddish as a way to discover her family’s Jewish Lithuanian roots and, in turn, explore Lithuania’s brutal history under Stalin’s Soviet regime and during Nazi occupation.
Fun Fact: The name of Vilnius’s main street reflects Lithuania’s tumultuous modern history. Built in 1836 as Georgij Avenue, the street was renamed Mickiewicz by the Polish, and first Stalin and then Lenin Avenue by the Soviets. The current name, Gediminas Avenue, was briefly used in 1939 and 1940 (between the Nazi and Soviet occupations) and was reinstated in 1989. The name honors Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania (circa 1275 to 1341).
San Juan, Puerto Rico
January 14-17
Old San Juan’s biggest winter event, San Sebastián Street Fest, has food, parades, children’s activities, and vendors. But it’s the music—Puerto Rican-style salsa, reggaeton, meringue, and batucada (percussion samba), and more—that keeps this party moving day and night.
The free festival marks the official end to the island’s holiday season. And, since the carnival-like atmosphere attracts both tourists and locals, being there is a joyous way to experience “a part of the real Puerto Rico,” says Marta S. Albanese Bras, communications and public relations officer for the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. “The rule of thumb in Old San Juan is the more uphill you go, the more local it gets,” adds Bras. “And San Sebastián Street is at the top of the hill.”
Climb the hill (carefully, since the cobblestones get slippery when wet) to dance, listen to live music, and visit the arts and crafts and food stalls. Daytime activities are family friendly. After sundown, the partying and dancing rev into high gear.
How to Get Around: Old San Juan is only five blocks by seven blocks, making it extremely easy to walk around. If you aren’t staying in Old San Juan, use the special public shuttle buses that run from various metro San Juan locations to the festival.
Where to Stay: Rooms in Old San Juan fill up fast during the festival. For the sake of convenience, it’s worth checking around the neighborhood to see if there’s any availability at El Convento, a 58-room luxury hotel housed in a former convent, or the 30-room Hotel Milano. If you need to expand your search area, look among the upscale properties hotels in Condado or the resorts in Isla Verde.
What to Eat or Drink: At Café Puerto Rico in Old San Juan, try mofongo, the island staple traditionally made of fried green plantains mashed with garlic and deep-fried pork skin. The menu includes three mofongo options:plátano (plantain), yucca (cassava), or amarillos (sweet plantain). All are served relleno (stuffed) with a protein such as octopus, diced pork, shrimp, codfish, or skirt steak strips.
What to Buy: During the festival, local artisans set up stalls in Old San Juan plazas, including Paseo La Princesa, Plaza Dársenas (in front of the cruise piers), Plaza de Armas (in front of City Hall), and on Plaza San José on San Sebastián Street. Year-round, Puerto Rican Arts and Crafts in Old San Juan sells island-produced pieces, such as burlap and fabric bags, original paintings and prints of Puerto Rican landscapes, and santos(saints) statues carved from white cedar and other woods.
What to Read Before You Go: The late Hunter S. Thompson’s raw, intense novel The Rum Diary is loosely based on his experiences as a hedonistic, young newspaper reporter in San Juan in the late 1950s.
Cultural Tip: Plan to arrive at the festival around mid-morning and stay until late in the evening. Wear comfortable clothing (but not beachwear) appropriate for both day and night.
Fun Fact: Established by the Spanish in 1519, San Juan is the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city in United States and its territories. It’s also the second oldest such city in the Western Hemisphere. (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, has been inhabited since 1496.) The San Juan forts and city walls built by the Spanish, and now part of the San Juan National Historic Site, are the oldest European constructions in the U.S. and its territories.
Santa Barbara, California
February 3 to 13
Long promoted as “the American Riviera," Santa Barbara delivers its best Cannes-like performance during the annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF). The 2016 edition features 200 films, including screenings of Ireland’s top animated cinema from the Dingle International Film Festival. There’s also a full slate of panel discussions and free community events, such as filmmaker seminars and a daily screening (first come, first serve) of some of the festival’s best films. Several local restaurants play a supporting role by offering special Film Feast VIP menus, premium plates, and pours showcasing locally sourced ingredients.
“Attending SBIFF is a cinephile’s dream,” says SBIFF executive director Roger Durling. “Since the festival takes place right after the Oscar nominations are announced, you will be able to see about 30 nominees talk about their craft in a very educational and inspiring way.”
How to Get Around: Festival events are downtown, which is easy to navigate on foot, by bike, or using the city’s fleet of low-impact electric shuttles (including downtown and waterfront shuttles).
Where to Stay: Walk to the festival’s screening rooms from the Canary, the Kimpton boutique hotel in the heart of downtown. The 97 rooms and suites are stylishly appointed with hardwood floors and four-poster beds. Amenities include Santa Barbara’s only rooftop pool and loaner Public bikes to use during your stay.
What to Eat or Drink: Local chefs, vintners, and other participating Film Feast partners will be offering special items inspired by this year’s theme: the perfect pairing. Sample their creations at Film Feast venues such as opal restaurant and bar (eclectic California cuisine), Grassini Family Vineyards downtown tasting room (award-winning Cabernets from Santa Barbara County’s Happy Canyon), and Olio e Limone (fresh pastas and authentic Sicilian recipes).
What to Buy: Hand-dyed silks, botanical soaps, handcrafted jewelry, and other items made by 50 local artists are on display at Santa Barbara Arts. Shop for artisanal and sustainably produced local foods, including Green Star Coffee and regional Il Fustino olive oil, at the Santa Barbara Public Market.
What to Read Before You Go: Crime novelist and native Kentuckian Sue Grafton lives in Santa Barbara and set her famous Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries in a fictionalized version of her adopted hometown. All 24 titles, from “A” Is for Alibi to X, reference actual Santa Barbara landmarks and locations.
Practical Tip: The budget-friendly SBIFF “Remains of the Day” pass is only $60 and gets you priority admission to all late-night (10 p.m. or later) screenings.
Fun Fact: “Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies” brings 4,000 Santa Barbara County fifth and sixth graders to SBIFF each year. The field trip, named for its founder, the late nature cinematographer Mike DeGruy, is designed to empower students to think creatively and follow their dreams. The day includes the screening of a 3-D film and a discussion with the film’s director. Past presenters have included Oscar winner James Cameron.
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