If you prefer to co-work in the cold and freelance while freezing, there are several dream destinations to choose from. Read on for our suggestions…
The digital nomad lifestyle doesn’t have to revolve around the sun. Our guide offers five destinations, cooler than most and in more ways than one…
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is famed for being split in two by the River Danube. Geography mimics life in the Hungarian capital, as digital nomads find dividing time between work and winter fun a breeze. All the freelancer essentials can be found here, co-working offices, cheap hostels and work-friendly cafes. Budapest goes further as excellent Wi-Fi speeds combine with regular digital nomad events in the city.
In your downtime, nothing feels quite as Hungarian as sitting back in an outdoor hot spring surrounded by -1°C temperatures.
Krakow, Poland
While Warsaw is Poland’s primary business hub, Krakow is the ideal destination for freelancing in freezing temperatures. High internet speeds, affordable rent and copious co-working offices welcome digital nomads all year round. Away from work, the Vistula Valley offers small slopes for spur-of-the-moment fun in the snow, while the Tatras Mountains a couple of hours away please more seasoned skiers. A trip to Wolski Forest, a few miles west of the Old Town, will fulfil your cross-country skiing needs.
Tallinn, Estonia
Estonia warms workers to relocating in winter with its visa for digital nomads. Foreigners enjoy the freedom to live, work and travel across the country for the year, including its -35°C January nights. The business benefits don’t end there, as the country’s ‘e-Residency’ program, allows international users to start a business within the European Union. If bureaucratic bliss doesn’t entice you, perhaps a trip skating on forest lakes or skiing down slopes at Nõmme Snow Park will do the trick.
Vilnius, Lithuania
Repeatedly ranked number one for the fastest public Wi-Fi in the world, Lithuania’s capital is a natural contender for a digital nomad’s dream winter destination. Buzzing nightlife and UNESCO-listed old town aside, the city boasts a winter sports centre at 235 metres high. Liepkalnis offers ski-lifts and picture perfect pistes from the highest point in town, all while overlooking the country’s finest co-working spaces. Alternatively, head to Tauras Hill with the locals for one of the best sledging spots in the Baltics.
Belgrade, Serbia
With an average temperature of 1.4°C in January, Belgrade is no stranger to the cold. The hostel hotspot offers incredibly cheap stays across the new and old city and like-minded freelancers everywhere you turn. Water and Wi-Fi collide in ArkaBarka, a hostel floating on the River Danube with a large common area ready for perfecting your next project. A few hours from the city, Kopaonik, makes for a wallet-friendly winter escape, catering to beginner and intermediate skiers.
Posted by Holly Morris
Images courtesy of Press Association