By this time of the year, many places are beginning to see snowflakes drifting down. Snow, a messenger from the sky marks the end of the year and the beginning of the winter vacation. It has unique impressions on different people. But never the less it represents a time of happiness and joy.

So next time you are puzzled by which place to visit during your winter break, why not try some places with a lot of snow?

Zermatt, the "City of Glaciers", is the best place to see the Matterhorn, Switzerland's famous snow-capped mountain, and if you find the Jungfrau too crowded, this is your second choice. Hikers from European countries make a pilgrimage here, and there are many classic hiking trails.

The town is not accessible by car and is a world-famous, car-free mountain destination with magnificent views of peaks and glaciers in a peaceful, fresh-air environment. The Lotte Peak, Lake Stellisee, the Gornegrath Lookout, and the Matterhorn Glacier Observatory are all excellent lookout points for viewing the Matterhorn.

Lake Stellisee, at 2537m, is the best place to capture the first morning light and reflections of the Matterhorn and is one of the world's most famous lakes. Rothorn Paradise, at 2,800m, has the best views of the Matterhorn and a lovely mountain restaurant on the summit for a more relaxed way to sit on the terrace and enjoy the views.

The Gornergrat is a landmark in the Matterhorn region and offers views of the famous Matterhorn and 38 other peaks above 4,000 meters, as well as the Gorner Glacier, the second-largest glacier in the Alps.

You can enjoy the view from the restaurant at the top of the mountain, or take a sunrise tour and enjoy the view of the mountains and rivers colored by the rising sun. The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is the closest of the four routes to the Matterhorn and is the best place to get up close and personal with Matterhorn.

Lapland is one of the most attractive places to visit in Finland, with three-quarters of its land in the polar regions and a unique polar landscape and indigenous people that captivate visitors from all over the world. Lapland is in northern Finland and winter starts in October and spring do not start until May.

During the eight-month-long winter, the land is transformed into a fairytale world of ice and snow. There are first-class ski resorts where you can experience the fun of skiing in style. Snow sports are not just about skiing, but also about the thrill of being pulled along by reindeer or snow dogs in a sleigh.

Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido and the best way to get involved with the city in winter is to enjoy the food, hot springs, and snow. Many young Japanese consider a trip to Otaru to be the most romantic thing they can do in their youth.

A typical example of Otaru's beauty is the Otaru Canal, a 1km-long walk along the canal, where gas lamps are lit up one by one at sunset and the river is surrounded by fog, making it indescribably romantic.

If you thought you could only find great skiing and winter nature in the mountains, you'd be wrong - Oslo, Norway's capital, is just a 15-minute metro ride away. Just a few kilometers from the center of Oslo on KarlJohan Street you can don your snow gear and weave through the snow-covered woods.

There are 2,600 kilometers of well-established cross-country ski trails, 90 kilometers of which are illuminated.

If skiing is your thing, you can't miss Lake Tahoe, which straddles California and Nevada and is one of the deepest and clearest alpine lakes in the world, with the entire lake looking like a giant sapphire when viewed from above, perhaps because of this, Lake Tahoe means heavenly lake in Indian language.

Because of its unique and stunning natural beauty, it was chosen as a location for the Oscar-winning film The Godfather. Ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe mountains such as Heavenly, SUGARBowl, and Alpine Meadows offer slopes and beautiful mountain scenery for all levels of skiing ability.

The largest, SquawValley located just north of the lake and it’s was also the venue for the Winter Olympics Game in 1960.