Where to Cool Down From the Heat in Berlin

The looming arrival of the heatwave has the people talking about literally nothing else than how they could possibly escape from it. One thing every conversation about it seems to have in common is that no-one is planning to go to the office. Well, we’ll see how many bosses will have mercy on their employees in these special circumstances.

To give you some inspiration on how to deal with the heat we compiled some ideas about places and activities that will help you cool down.

 

Escape to the Forest

 

Not only do all the trees in the forest offer lots of shade they actually also cool down the air due to their quality of evaporating water. So expect the forest to be significantly cooler than the streets in the city or your overheated apartment.

And while we are speaking about trees, maybe think of all those poor suckers in the city that are basically drying out from the heat and pour them a bucket of water, ok?

 

photo: Liz Ketchum

 

Hang out by the Waterfall

 

Berlin has exactly one waterfall: The one at Victoria Park. It offers not only refreshing water rushing down the stones cooling off the air, but also lots of shadows. Perfect spot to hang out and cool down!

 

 

Enjoy a Movie by the Pool

 

Our friends from Mobile Kino are doing screenings at Haubentaucher, the cool-looking urban pool in Friedrichshain starting this Monday at 21:30h with Berlin Bouncer and the week after Call Me By Your Name. Tickets include pool access from 18h onwards, yay! More pool screenings coming up on Mondays all through the summer. Keep an eye out for them in our events listing.

 

 

Dance in the Rain of a Sprinkler

 

The heat means also that some parks might put up sprinklers so the grass doesn’t dry out. I saw two of those yesterday at Görlitzer Park. There are also these places all over town called “Plansche” which is some kind of water feature in a public park that sprays water. It’s mostly meant for small kids to play around, but who says you can’t do as well?

 

 

Indulge in too much Ice Cream

 

I don’t know about you, but when it’s that hot all I wanna eat really is ice cream. For breakfast, for lunch, for dinner. Just keep those cooling balls of icecream rolling my way. Luckily Berlin is full of amazing ice cream shop that it won’t be that hard to fulfill this need.

 

The Best Ice Cream Shops in Berlin

photo: Rosa Canina

 

Splash into the Pools

 

It might be a bit of an obvious choice here, but: POOLS! I think the hotter it gets the higher is our threshold to endure long lines, screaming kids and the potential of pee in the water. All of that will be worth it the moment we dive under. While the open-air swimming pools are maybe a bit overcrowded you could consider the nice indoor pools instead that might be less obvious attractions these days.

A Guide to Public Pools in Berlin

 

Refresh yourself with Popsicles

 

If creamy ice cream doesn’t do it for you, maybe a popsicle will? The watery refreshing alternative on a stick is probably the hottest commodity these days. Check out the two shops of California Pops or look out for all the points of sale for local popsicle brand Paletas. And don’t feel bad if you wanna gorge down more than just one.

 

 

Go to the Lakes

 

If you haven’t been to the lakes in Berlin summers, you haven’t really had the full Berlin experience. We might not have beaches by the sea in Berlin, but we have hundreds of lovely lakes in and around the city that are just waiting for you to arrive and jump into. Here’s a list of the best lakes.

 

The Lakes of Berlin

 

 

Visit a Museum

 

The summer is normally a bad time for museums and galleries, but guess what: They are all air-conditioned. You wouldn’t want those big waxy sculptures by Joseph Beuys to melt down at Hamburger Bahnhof?

 

 

Spend some time at the Library

 

I guess you haven’t stepped into a library since you studied. But now would be a great time to get back into it. All those books can’t have it too hot, so they are climatized. Ultimately those turning pages will fan you the required fresh air.

 

 

Hide in a Multiplex

 

While the pool screenings will be hosted mostly in the night, you could also hide in an air-conditioned multiplex all day catching up an all the big screen movies of the season. Those 1 Liter cups of sparkling soft drinks will come in handy.

 

 

Last but not least:  Drink lots of water and water those trees in your street!

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Frank

Author

Frank is the founder and editor-in-chief of iHeartBerlin. He takes photos, makes videos, and writes texts mostly about what's going on in Berlin. His vision and interests have shaped iHeartBerlin since its conception back in 2007 - and he hopes to continue bringing you the best of Berlin for many years to come.