Cool places in Dortmund: New map shows shady places and drinking fountains!

Cool places in Dortmund: New map shows shady places and drinking fountains!

The summer heat is here again, and with it the concern for cool places to retreat in our cities is growing. In Dortmund, this topic has now been intensively addressed and a digital cool places map has been presented. This innovative map shows shady places in the city center that invite you to cool off. An offer that could be of great benefit not only to the Dortmund population, but also to the city's many visitors. [Ruhr24].

Some of the shadiest locations are shown on this digital map, including Westpark, Friedensplatz and Stadtgarten. There are also pleasant shaded areas with drinking water fountains in the popular places in the city center such as Westenhellweg next to the Petrikirchhof and the Propsteihof on Silberstrasse. Overall, the map shows numerous places where you can escape the heat, which helps alleviate heat stress in urban areas. The city of Dortmund also plans to continually expand the map to add more cool places and interiors, as can be read in the detailed overview on Dortmund.de.

An action plan for cooler heads

But what is behind this offer? The background is the city of Dortmund's heat action plan, which aims to better protect the population from the consequences of heat. Part of this plan includes measures to raise awareness and provide acute assistance during heat waves, which is particularly important for vulnerable groups such as older people, children and pregnant women. The map was created in summer 2023 by senior citizens' offices and the Environment Agency and not only provides an overview of cooler places, but also information on accessibility and other services.

The problem of summer heat is taken seriously not only in Dortmund, but also in other Bavarian cities. Municipalities such as Munich, Nuremberg and Straubing are also taking measures to help citizens with heat stress. The already mentioned Health Minister Judith Gerlach warns that particularly sealed areas and heavy traffic contribute to heating up of cities. According to the Federal Environment Agency, the annual number of heat victims in Germany is around 3,000, and the trend is rising. Measures such as the provision of public drinking fountains and interactive maps should help to make the weather conditions more bearable Weather.com.

Cool places in Dortmund

Here is an overview of the current shady spots listed on the new map:

• Westpark Dortmund
• Westenhellweg neben dem Petrikirchhof (Schattenplatz mit Trinkwasserbrunnen)
• Propsteihof an der Silberstraße (Schattenplatz und Trinkwasserbrunnen)
• Friedensplatz (Schattenplatz)
• Stadtgarten (Schattenplatz)
• Ostfriedhof (drei Schattenplätze)
• Dortmunder Wall (vier Schattenplätze)

In addition, the city center offers the opportunity to refresh yourself with seven refill stations for free drinking water. Those who are thirsty can refill their bottles for free at the following locations:

• Thier-Galerie (bei Starbucks und Globetrotter)
• Bücherstraße (bei tierärztlicher Praxis für Kleintiere Scharnhorst)
• APOSTAR Apotheke am Stadtgarten
• LBS-Bausparkasse Dortmund Brackel am Westenhellweg
• Verbraucherzentrale NRW, Ecke Konzerthauspassage
• ZAQUENSIS Service-Center Dortmund am Burgwall

These initiatives show that the city of Dortmund and other Bavarian municipalities are actively addressing the heat challenge and want to offer citizens a better quality of life. When summer hits us again with full heat, such measures will be worth their weight in gold.