Barcelona’s climate shelters also open in winter

Not a city you’d normally associate with freezing temperatures, but it’s good to know that cosy options are there if the need arises

During the scorching summer of 2022, the city of Barcelona made headlines for its creative idea to open a network of climate shelters for residents and visitors seeking relief from the heat. Local authorities, however, have reminded the public that these shelters have not been closed and in fact, will also operate in winter.

Although January has so far been exceptionally mild, plus the Catalonian capital is rarely the subject of snowstorms, the city government prefers to stay ready and vigilant and it sends the message out that if the temperatures drop radically and you need to feel warm, there’s a place for you not far away.

Variety of dedicated spaces

This winter the network will have 134 spaces: 64 local facilities, 39 libraries, 20 sports complexes, 8 museums and 2 environmental facilities.

The enabling of shelters during the cold season is an initiative that complements the implementation in the last three years of the network of climate shelters during the summer months.

Work is currently underway to expand the number of facilities that are part of this network and thus increase the degree of coverage so that in the near future 100% of the population can have a space of these characteristics less than 5 minutes away from wherever they are.

It is also planned to improve the comfort and quality of the services offered by these spaces, as well as the dissemination and communication actions to make this network known to the public.

The aim is to ensure that residents have access to a network of spaces to protect themselves from extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, throughout the year.