Here are the ‘coolest’ European destinations to visit in summer

Shade seekers can rejoice, holiday travel trends are changing and tan-refreshing, sunbed-stewing summer getaways are on the decline.

In light of the ongoing climate crisis, Brits – habitually inclined to boil abroad – are redirecting their wanderlust to European shores where they won’t be a prisoner to a hotel room’s air-conditioning or sweat over the midday UV index.

The shift to more moderate climates comes as no surprise. A furnace of Mediterranean holiday heavyweights, from Athens to Valenica, were ablaze with wildfires during peak travel season 2024, and temperatures are continuing to break record highs year on year.

Now’s the time to swap searing Andalusia in mainland Spain for the cooler Canaries, trade Portugal’s Algarve for Poland’s Baltic coast, and replace big-hitting Greek islands with German variations.

With chasing scorching sun on the back burner, here are the destinations bringing a breeze to summer holidays, from wind-whipped islands to northern Europe’s fine coastline.

Ostend, Belgium

Average high in August: 21C

Average low in August: 15C

Though best known for its chocolate, drinks and the hub of EU democracy that is Brussels, it would be foolish to turn your nose up at Belgium’s beach resorts. Let Flanders’s largest, Ostend, sweep you away to its golden sands this summer for mornings spent kitesurfing and afternoons filled with fresh oysters on the Albert I Promenade – all without the need to retreat from the heat.

Ostend , known for its wide sandy beach. Reuters

Oslo, Norway

Average high in August: 21C

Average low in August: 13C

The Norwegian capital is a tangle of hip districts – specifically buzzy Grünerløkka – boutique stores and al fresco dining spots fringed by thick Marka forest (where you can go for active pursuits, including zip lining and mountain biking). Slick museums on the Oslo Pass, such as the Munch Museum, meet the culture criteria for a city break while taking a dip in seawater pools and drying off in Nordic saunas nails the R&R element of a standard summer holiday.

A general view of the cityscape with the new Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. Reuters

La Gomera, Canary Islands

Average high in August: 28C

Average low in August: 21C

While mainland Spain sizzles, an Atlantic onshore breeze blows through the Canary Islands, blessing balmy year-round La Gomera with inviting 20C days for holidaymakers to indulge in hiking, black-sand bathing and foodie feasts of melon lobster. The bearable heat doesn’t sacrifice sunshine, with around nine hours of vitamin D on offer in August.

Atlantic onshore breeze blows through the Canary Islands. Reuters

Sopot, Poland

Average high in August: 22C

Average low in August: 12C

Seafront Sopot, in the Tricity region of the “Baltic Riviera”, is an affordable alternative to the beloved big names further south and at its warmest come August. A short train ride from all the history of Gdansk, 4km of tempting beaches, Europe’s longest wooden pier and stylish health spas dot the fairy tale-esque facades and locals hail Sopot for its beachfront nightlife scene and, of course, decadent waffles.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Average high in August: 28C

Average low in August: 16C

Slovenia’s most famous attraction sparkles under the summer sun and Lake Bled’s inviting turquoise glacial waters will help you keep your cool on climbs up to the medieval Bled Castle and romantic rows around the fantasy island. Where the legendary lakes of Garda and Como sweat with crowds in Italy, Bled’s slice of the Julian Alps, though inevitably busy, offers forest trails suited for secluded alpine hikes.

Machico, Madeira

Average high in August: 26C

Average low in August: 21C

Leave the scorching Algarve for a more temperate Atlantic alternative on Portugal’s Madeira archipelago. Sandwiched between mountains, far east Machico has a wave-battered artificial beach with golden grains imported from Africa, well-groomed gardens and a vision of terracotta roofs dotting its landscape.

On Denmark’s northeastern peninsula, the port town of Skagen has art museums and fine dining. Reuters

Skagen, Denmark

Average high in August: 19C

Average low in August: 13C

On Denmark’s northeastern peninsula, the port town of Skagen has art museums and fine dining to rival the country’s effortlessly cool capital Copenhagen. Wisps of cloud paint the skies and wild nature patrols the pale grains of the Grenen sandbar that straddles the Baltic and North Sea. Better still, August’s T-shirt and light-layers weather is ideal for exploring this stretch of the Rabjerg Mile – a migrating coastal sand dune.

The Independent