Bratislava responds to the heat, it launches a network of more than 30 free Ochlaď sa! (Cool down!) cooling spots

The network of cooling spots comes at a time when the people of Bratislava are awaiting another wave of exceptionally hot days. Although we all feel the high temperatures, they don’t affect us all in the same way. For seniors, young children, people with health issues or those who are simply unable to cool down sufficiently at home, a hot day can be not only unpleasant, but even dangerous. This is why Bratislava has created a pilot network of cooling spots to help residents cope with periods of extreme heat waves more safely and comfortably.

Said Marián Zachar from Bratislava’s Climate Office:

“Extreme heat waves are a new type of crisis situation for cities in our region, for which there is no single miraculous solution. The measures needed are comprehensive and long-term. The Cool Down! network, which we can now prepare thanks to the joint efforts of the city, the city districts and private partners, provides practical help for residents."

Eight city districts joined the city and city organisations in the pilot year of the project – Staré Mesto, Lamač, Rača, Ružinov, Nové Mesto, Petržalka, Karlova Ves and Vajnory – along with seven private partners: Aupark, Eurovea, IKEA, Lidl, Kaufland, Martinus and Westend.

Various types of existing public and private spaces – libraries, community and cultural centres, local offices, bookstores and shopping centres – are involved in the Cool Down! network. During heat waves, several of them set aside space for visitors to relax and cool down, while others adjusted their opening hours or operating mode to be as accessible as possible during the hottest periods. The cooling places are open to everyone, but they can especially help seniors and those who are unable to sufficiently cool down at home.

The city activates the Cool Down! network on the basis of the forecast and warnings of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) – for three consecutive days with a maximum temperature of at least 33 °C, two days with at least 35 °C or one day with at least 38 °C. Once activated, the network will remain active for at least three calendar days. The city will inform the public about its launch and termination via its website and communication channels.

On the Bratislava website ↗︎ people will find an interactive map of all cooling spot with their opening hours, equipment, information on accessibility and other practical information. The map also indicates public drinking fountains where it is possible to refill your own water bottle. The site also offers recommendations on how to cope with the heat and how to help your loved ones do the same.

The city is also making the Archa space near the Primate’s Palace at Uršulínská 6 accessible to the public as part of the Cool Down! project. During activation of the network, this will be accessible to everyone on weekdays and weekends, always from 10:00 to 18:00. Another public building involved in Cool Down! is, for example, the market building at Trnavské mýto, which, along with cooling down, has available Wi-Fi, books, magazines, a children’s corner and indoor drinking fountains from the Bratislavská vodárenská spoločnosť (Bratislava Water Company, BVS).

Peter Briatka, head of the market at Trnavské mýto:

“The market has always been a meeting place, and we’re pleased that, as part of the cooperation between the Nové Mesto district and the municipality, we can offer a place during the summer where visitors can take a break from the heat, refill their own bottles of water or, thanks to free Wi-Fi, move their work to a more pleasant environment for a while. If this pilot proves to be successful, we at the market would like to create a place, in partnership with the municipality, where people can not only cool down during the heat, but where an interesting programme, including activities designed specifically for seniors, will be on offer.”

The project is overseen by the Bratislava Climate Office, but it operates as a decentralised system.

Explains Soňa Andrášová from the Bratislava Climate Office:

“According to successful models from other European cities, we are connecting existing public and private spaces, setting up a common standard of operation and giving people a clear map of the nearest available places to cool down."

She then adds:

“We will not measure success only by the number of visitors. In selected operations, we’ll collect anonymous feedback so that we can expand and improve the network in the coming years."

Not all cooling spots will be available every day or at the same time. Therefore, the city recommends that people check the current availability of cooling spots on the map at Bratislava web ↗︎ before visiting.

Said Matúš Vallo, Mayor of Bratislava:

“The city has launched a network of cooling spots, but we can only cope with such heatwaves together. Please, let’s pay attention to the people around us on hot days. Let’s call our parents or grandparents or knock on the door of neighbours who live alone. Sometimes a glass of water, a short phone call or a few minutes of interest is enough to help someone safely cope with the hottest days of summer."

Cool down! is not the only measure that Bratislava is employing to respond to the increasingly frequent heat waves. The city, together with the city organisations, monitors SHMÚ warnings during the summer and ensures the operation of dozens of drinking fountains, fog sprayers and city fountains. It also deploys drinking water tanks during prolonged heat waves and extends the opening hours of city swimming pools. It further invests in adaptation measures for the long term – from planting greenery and building water features to modernising the public transport fleet. While in 2019 only 56% of the buses of the Dopravný podnik Bratislava (Bratislava Public Transport Company) were air-conditioned, by the end of 2022 almost 100% of them were equipped with air conditioning.

The Cool Down! pilot network is one of the steps Bratislava is taking in response to increasingly frequent extreme heat waves. The city wants to gradually expand the network in the coming years, involve other partners and create a long-term system of protecting residents during heat waves as part of Bratislava’s adaptation to a changing climate.