For hot days in Europe
Find cool places outdoors
Forests, streams, swim spots, gorges, caves, highlands. Places that are noticeably cooler on hot days.
Every place has a coolness level from 1 to 3 and the reasons in plain words. Free, no account.
Where are you headed?
435,057 cool places From open data Free, no account
Drag and zoom - one click opens the full map.
Cool places by country
Every country with its regions and the places that stay cool there on hot days.
- Switzerland 15,348 places · 9 regions · 20.8 % at level 3
- France 170,249 places · 13 regions · 3.9 % at level 3
- Italy 80,061 places · 20 regions · 9.5 % at level 3
- Germany 136,231 places · 16 regions · 3.0 % at level 3
- Austria 33,168 places · 9 regions · 14.8 % at level 3
Coming soon Liechtenstein, Spain - and more countries across Europe.
What the coolness level means
The level compares a place with its surroundings on a hot day. It is a ranking, not a temperature, and it never stands alone: next to it is always what makes the place cool.
- Slightly coolerA little cooler than the surroundings, usually some shade or open green. Good for a short break.
- Noticeably coolerDense forest, a stream or a shaded setting. You can stay here longer.
- Distinctly coolerShade and water together, often at altitude, in gorges or by waterfalls.
Why these places are cooler
The factors that matter most, all from open map and satellite data, calculated place by place.
Shade from above
Dense tree canopy and slopes that take the sun away. The strongest factor: without direct sun the ground stays noticeably cooler.
Water nearby
A stream, river or lake cools the air, but only for some 150 to 250 metres. Further away, water no longer counts.
Elevation
Higher up the air is cooler. Elevation starts counting at around 300 metres and counts fully from 1500 metres.
Little built-up ground
Asphalt and walls hold heat well into the night. The less of it around a place, the better its rating.
What we do not know: the shade at a given hour, how crowded a place is, whether something is closed. In severe heat, follow official advice first.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is there no temperature for a place?
- A number of degrees per place would be a precision that does not exist. Instead there is the level 1 to 3 and the reasons: dense forest, a stream nearby or altitude.
- Where do the places come from?
- From open map and satellite data. Forest, water, terrain and altitude together give the level.
- Do I need an account?
- No. The map is open, free and usable without signing up.
- My country is not here
- The countries that already have a map are listed at the top of this page. More will follow step by step.
On hot days
- Asphalt gets hot before the air does. Dogs walk better on forest ground and over short distances.
- With children and older relatives, use the early hours and prefer places with water.
- Even in a cool place: drink enough and plan the way back outside the midday heat.
Report a place
Do you know a cool place that is missing? Or does something no longer match? Write to us, it helps everyone who is searching.
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