No hold has a history as tragic as Winterhold. In The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, very little is left of the actual city of Winterhold, which suffered immense destruction during the era of the Oblivion Crisis. Only the College itself with its mages is what remains of a town that has now become ghostly and quite empty.
However, the city and the College itself aren't the only things that Winterhold has to offer. Underneath its surface are the hidden depths of Blackreach, one of Skyrim's most unusual and difficult locations. Its snowy mountains are home to dangerous creatures and numerous Dwemer ruins, but there are also countless unmarked locations that anyone touring Skyrim should visit.
Updated on November 24, 2021, by Anastasia Maillot: As players return to Skyrim's snowy province with the 10th-year anniversary edition of Skyrim, it's likely they'll want to visit as many unknown, hidden, and unmarked locations in Bethesda's immersive open world.
Winterhold isn't the biggest area in the game, but it does offer some of the more unique locations for players to explore. Some of these spots have gained more fame over the years, making them a bit less 'hidden', but others still remain largely unknown by players.
14 The Chill
Where do players end up when they commit crimes in Winterhold? The answer is The Chill. This ice cave of a prison located north of the College is among the most unique dungeons in the game. There are no ordinary guards, either: rather, frost atronachs will patrol the area.
There's a bunch of decent loot players can find here or nearby the area, including gold, silver, orichalcum, corundum, and iron ore which can be mined directly from a vein. It's a reliable location for those who need frost salts as well.
13 Yisra's Beachside Combustion
Not too far away from Yngvild on the beach, players will find the remains of a quest that could have once been but remains broken. Yisra, a mage from the College of Winterhold, met an unfortunate end while perfecting their Flame Cloak spell. The tome for it can be found at the location.
Players will also come across Yisra's necklace, which is just a simple silver amulet without any enchantments. Sell it for some extra gold.
12 Altar Of Xrib
Those intrigued by Dwemer lore can visit this strange altar that differs from the otherwise Nordic atmosphere of Skyrim. Head to the mountains beyond Winterhold, roughly southwest of the town and nearby another location known as the Sightless Pit. Be prepared to fight some skeletal enemies.
There's not much in terms of loot here, other than a Conjuration skill book. It's more of an impressive location due to the view and its unique architecture.
11 Rundi's Altar
Speaking of altars, there's another spot located just outside of the College of Winterhold, on the snowy plains-like glaciers nearby the school. This area is tied to the very same broken quest Yisra's was, but it's still worth visiting for a cool view and some decent loot.
After dealing with Rundi, players can expect to find an Alchemy skill book and a Soul gem, as well a unique named dagger called Rundi's dagger, which has no enchantment.
10 Wet Bones
This spot is easy to find once the player has finished their quest in Saarthal. Located just west of the Saarthal excavation site, they'll come across a set of bones, belonging to both an animal and a human being. There's also a small Dwemer chest.
The loot inside the chest is random and depends on the player's level. Given how easy this place is to find, it's worth visiting either before or after having visited Saarthal with the College of Winterhold students.
9 Horker Hunter's Camp
Looking for a campsite to rest in while traveling? There's a great spot just south of Bleakcoast Cave by the Sea of Ghosts. The place will be visible from afar due to the abandoned horse, which can be taken by the player — a great way to find a decent, free steed.
There's a ton of useful loot, from horker ingredients to a knapsack and some gold. There's also a Light Armor skill book here, titled Rislav the Righteous, ideal for agile build characters. This is a must-visit place for the free horse and the skill book alone; not to mention, there are no enemies around to protect it.
8 Ill-Gotten Gains
For some juicy loot, players will need to put their lives on the line and travel to a relatively dangerous unmarked location. Located east from Snow Veil Sanctum in a passage between ice and mountainside near the shore, a bloody scene will await anyone unfortunate enough to stumble upon it.
There are a few crates and a chest lying around, along with a dead Horker and a random enemy, which will be dependent on the player's level. This can potentially be a Frost Troll, so make sure to be prepared when heading over here for the loot.
7 Mount Anthor Summit
One of the best locations to visit is the summit of Mount Anthor. Located southwest of Saarthaal far up in the mountains, the area is marked with three pillars most likely from Dwemer times. Tread carefully, however, because the area is guarded by ice wraiths.
There are two chests around here, a quicksilver ore vein and an enchanted warhammer which will be leveled according to the player. But one thing that shouldn't be ignored is the middle pillar, which has seven potions on top of it. These potions are random and level-dependent as well.
6 Shrine Of Talos: Sea Of Ghosts
The worship of Talos may have been outlawed, but visiting his shrines is still a worthy task, especially when it comes to this one. Southwest from Ysgramor's Tomb is a small shrine of Talos, around the shore area of the Sea of Ghosts. His statue will be visible from afar.
Aside from grabbing Talos' blessing from the shrine, the player can also find a One-Handed skill book titled The Importance of Where. There's also a random weapon that depends on the player's level, along with a satchel, inside of which various alchemy ingredients are found.
5 The Dead Refugees
South of Azura's shrine, on the path located deep in the mountains the player will find a toppled-over carriage with three corpses lying around. It's safe to assume these unlucky travelers were hit by a destructive avalanche that swept them away and took their lives.
There's usually a random potion, some gold, a satchel, and a battleaxe among all the rubble. Moreover, the book Enchanter's Prime, which boosts the Enchanting skill, can also be found here. Nearby the spot, the player can find two iron ore veins for some quick mining as well.
4 The Iceberg Explorer
Head north from Yngvild to the iceberg that's by the shore of the Sea of Ghosts. A small tattered flag should immediately alert the player of this location, which upon further inspection looks like the final resting place of someone who came to see the iceberg from up close.
Next to the skeleton is a chest with some items inside, as well as a Heavy Armor skill book titled The Knight of the Nine. After looting everything, climb down the iceberg towards the shore and there should be a corundum ore vein nearby as well.
3 Horker Hunter's Last Stand
Remember the Horker Hunter's Camp? Follow the shore east and the former inhabitants of the camp can be found lying dead in a puddle of blood, bested by a bunch of bloodthirsty horkers. These hunters met an unfortunate end at the hands of these beasts.
Once the player kills the remaining horkers, they can loot the hunters for a Treasure Map VIII. The location of this treasure is by Dragon Bridge farm, and the player first needs to get the key before finding the underwater chest in the river.
2 Frozen Mammoth
Skyrim is full of fun Easter eggs, but one of the more impressive ones has to be the mammoth frozen in ice, a hidden location west of Saarthal. The area is riddled with glaciers, which can make it a bit hard to get to, but the sight itself is absolutely breathtaking.
It's a great spot to gather some Dwemer arrows as well, and a random Two-Handed weapon, which will all be stuck on the beast. Judging from this, it's possible the mammoth was actually killed by the Dwemer themselves. There's also an orichalcum ore vein not too far away from the mammoth itself.
1 Dead Man's Treasure
For even more loot, the player should head far away to the east end of the map itself, slightly north of the Wreck of the Winter War. There will be a large island, on the shore of which a lone tattered flag next to a skeleton can be found on a crate of items.
Next to the skeleton, there's a bunch of gold ingots, an enchanted dagger, and a Pickpocket skill book titled Beggar. There are also a few bird nests and three barrels around for further looting, making it a nice pit stop for any Smithing experts looking for ingots.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim was first released on November 11, 2011, is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.