Winter is for many the right time to travel – less crowded streets seem to be the welcome advantage. There are many fascinating cities around the globe that, in spite of the freezing temperatures, should not to be missed.
Winter may not be the ideal season to travel, though many tourists agree that snow-covered and less crowded streets become more charming and peaceful. Whether the statistics compare lowest annual temperature on average or the absolute lowest individual temperatures, the top ten coldest capitals usually remain the same, in varying order.
One of the coldest capitals in the world lies in Kazakhstan, with a shocking record of -52°C. Tourist guides promote Astana as a city of futuristic architecture with several landmarks worth admiring. The Palace of Peace, the Ak Orda Presidential Palace or Bayterek – a 105m monument and observation tower are among them. Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia is very close with -49°C. Its pristine surroundings feature impressive mountains and dense pine forests.
The temperatures in Minsk, Belarus drop as low as -40°C. Culture is a major lure for tourists, who may admire local opera and ballet performances which are considerably cheaper in comparison to other European capitals. Children will fall in love with the famous Minsk Circus. Half way across the globe, Ottawa in Canada recorded -37°C. The icy conditions promote the national sport, ice hockey. Ottawa Senators games are extremely popular and not to be missed.
Finnish Helsinky (-33°C) attracts fans of winter sports and outstanding natural beauty. Vilnius in Lithuania (-30°C) enjoyed its year of fame as the 2009 Capital of Culture and many visitors praised local ice-fishing adventure. Those who were lucky enough to catch their supper were welcome to ask their hotel chef to prepare it for them. Among other cold capitals which should not be overlooked rank highest Bucharest in Romania or Tallinn in Estonia and Nuuk in Greenland.