Summers in Germany are getting hotter - even in Aachen. Prolonged periods of heat, high UV exposure and tropical nights pose a serious health risk, especially for older people, children, the chronically ill and people without a permanent home. But even healthy adults feel the strain when temperatures do not drop for long periods of time. To meet the challenges of increasing heat in the city, the city of Aachen has published an interactive map of cool places.

This shows places throughout the city where people can spend time in high temperatures - whether to rest, take a deep breath or cool down. The map also shows free drinking water options, such as public drinking fountains or refill stations in stores and public facilities. This helps people on the move in particular to stay hydrated even on hot days.

The map is now available at www.aachen.de/hitze and is also integrated into the city's participation portal https://beteiligung.nrw.de/portal/aachen.

Enter your own favorite cool places - please join in!

Particularly important: the map depends on the participation of citizens who know of a pleasantly shady, airy or particularly cool place - for example a quiet park, a seating area near the water or a green courtyard area - and enter it on the map with just a few clicks. In this way, a collection of cool places is created step by step via the "swarm knowledge" of everyone, from which everyone benefits.

The map was developed as part of the city's heat action plan.