New Hampshire and Maine Towns Make Top 5 List for Prettiest U.S. Cities in Winter

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions, or personal experiences.

Winter in New England

Sure, the winters here can be rough.

Summers boast gorgeous, comfortable days in the high 70s, salt breezes on the water, and cold beers on the deck, but as the temperature starts to dip in the fall, we all start to panic a little bit.

Winter can be rough but it also brings some of the most beautiful scenes our New England states see out of the entire year; a quintessential New England town with a blanket of snow draped across it is one of the most stunning things you can see, regardless of the shivers in the cold.

Best States in the U.S. to Visit in Winter

If you want to experience and bask in a winter wonderland scene like the one mentioned above, then your best bet is to spend time in New England in the winter.

House Beautiful recently released a list of what they believe to be the prettiest towns in the U.S. to visit during the winter, and Maine and New Hampshire topped the list.

Duh!

Coming in at No. 2 was Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with Bar Harbor here in Maine tailing right behind at No. 3.

To me, these are no-brainers. Portsmouth and Bar Harbor are quintessential coastal towns that boast local breweries, proximity to ski mountains, endless trails for your winter sport of choice, and gorgeous, quaint, brick downtowns on the water that truly sparkle in the snow.

I haven’t personally spent a lot of time in Portsmouth but every time I'm in the downtown area I think, wow, I need to come here more often. It reminds me so much of Portland, Maine, but with its own unique touch and charm. It’s delightful and even more charming covered in snow.

The Prettiest New England Towns in the Winter

While I mostly wanted to brag about Maine hitting No. 3 on a list of the most beautiful winter towns to visit in our country, I obviously had to shout out our neighbor practically topping the list. I’ll also fill you in on our other neighbors that made the top 40:

• No. 11: Littleton, New Hampshire
• No. 22: Nantucket, Massachusetts
• No. 38: Sandwich, Massachusetts

That last one makes me realize now why someone was wearing a sweatshirt the other day that just simply said “Sandwich” on it at the Boston airport. I get it now.

We truly are blessed to live in such a gorgeous area that shines its light all year round. Summers on the coast, fall foliage in the mountains, blankets of fresh snow, and fields of flowers in the spring.

There are so many things to love about our home, even in the dark times.