As Europe buckles under a punishing heat wave, residents and summer travelers alike are struggling to stay cool — often without the convenience of air conditioning.
Safety is paramount, and experts say staying hydrated is key. But if you find yourself in Paris, Rome or any other crowded European city this summer, there are plenty of places to cool off. Some options are self-evident: finding a public pool, for example, or settling into a breezy or shady spot at a public park. Other options might be less obvious, like taking an underground tour or heading into a cathedral.
Here’s how and where to find respite from scorching temperatures during your summer travels in Europe.
Cool museums
Fees for museums, which often regulate temperatures and humidity levels to protect artworks and artifacts, may be a small price to pay for cooler air. While in Paris, try the Musée Marmottan Monet and the Musée de Carnavalet, both known for their cool basement areas.
In Spain, the Center of Contemporary Culture and the Museum of the History of Barcelona are part of the city’s climate shelters network, a list of spaces that offer refuge from the heat in the summer.
If you find yourself in Amsterdam, try the Rijksmuseum. In Rome, pay a visit to the Galleria Borghese. In London, try the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Underground attractions
You can also beat the heat by going where the temperatures are naturally cooler: underground.
Paris is an exemplar of a city with subterranean attractions. Temperatures inside the Paris Catacombs are refreshing even in the summer, averaging about 57 degrees Fahrenheit, according to their website. The Museum of Sewers, which reopened in 2021 after a renovation, is another cool option.
Underneath the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which reopened in December, is the Archaeological Crypt of the Île de la Cité, an underground museum and tour through the archaeological remains of the Roman city Lutetia, a predecessor of modern-day Paris.
Public swimming areas
Heading to a nearby body of water can also be a convenient way to find relief.
While swimming in the tidal Thames is not generally encouraged, the ponds at Hampstead Heath and Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park are two popular local swimming spots in London. Copenhagen’s havnebade, or harbor baths, including those at Islands Brygge and Sandkaj, are also local delights on a hot day. Many of Rome’s public pools are only free to residents, but venues like the Piscina delle Rose or Sporting Club Ostiense can provide amenities for families to comfortably spend the day poolside.
Other cities might surprise you. Budapest, for example, hailed as the city of bathhouses, is famous for its thermal waters — but visitors can also enjoy a variety of refreshing swimming pools, including those at Gellert, Széchenyi and on Margaret Island.
Shopping centers and plazas
Adding a shopping trip to your itinerary is another way to sidestep squelching temperatures — though budget travelers beware.
A stroll around Harrods, the famed (and air-conditioned) luxury department store in London, or the Galeries Lafayette, in Paris, can be a good way to stretch your legs, take advantage of the cooler air and enjoy the food halls and local cuisines.
Public libraries and archives
While admission rules can vary for nonresidents, visitors can depend on areas within public libraries to have cooling systems to maintain the integrity of archival materials.
In London, the British Library, which holds more than 170 million items and publicly displays objects like the Magna Carta and handwritten Beatles lyrics, is free and air-conditioned. It and dozens of other libraries (as well as a number of other spaces) are listed on the city’s Cool Spaces map.
Other free-entry libraries around Europe include the National Library in Madrid, one of the largest repositories of Spain’s cultural and historical texts; the Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen, which houses writing from some of the country’s most notable artists and scholars, including Hans Christian Andersen; and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, which offers a garden area and a stunning oval reading room.
Churches and cathedrals
Another tip: Look for the domes, steeples and minarets.
While cathedrals, mosques and temples are often not air-conditioned, the structures often maintain cooler interior temperatures because of their thick stone walls and high ceilings.
This principle holds for many of the religious sites in Vatican City and Rome, including at St. Peter’s Basilica, home to Michelangelo’s La Pietà, and at the Church of Saint Ignatius, with its dazzling frescoes.
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Nia Decaille, an editor on The Times’s Audience team, is currently reporting for the Travel section.
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