Bucharest Opens 300 Free Climate Shelters, Including Senior Clubs

Bucharest City Hall is launching an extensive network of climate shelters designed to protect the capital's residents from the high temperatures of summer. The initiative represents a concrete support measure for vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, who face the greatest risks associated with heatwaves.

What do the climate shelters offer?

The network comprises 71 public institutions and approximately 200 branches of partner pharmacies. At these locations, anyone can benefit free of charge from shade and cool air, drinking water, and chairs or armchairs for resting. Some sites also have toilets and first aid kits, making them especially useful for older adults travelling around the city on their own.

Where are the shelters located?

Locations included in the programme are:

• Senior clubs in Bucharest
• Social assistance directorates
• All branches of the Bucharest Metropolitan Library
• Theatres and museums
• Tax, revenue, and civil registry offices across the city's districts
• Dona and Catena pharmacies, which have joined the project voluntarily

Interactive map for quickly finding shelters

From Wednesday morning, Bucharest residents can use an interactive digital platform that displays all available climate shelters in real time. The map shows each location's opening hours, available facilities, and advice on preventing heat stress — essential information for older adults and their carers.

The platform also incorporates the capital's public drinking fountain network, with navigation to the nearest source of drinking water — an important detail for elderly people travelling on foot during scorching days.

The network may expand

Bucharest City Hall has announced that it remains open to new partners joining the scheme: non-governmental organisations, religious institutions, bookshops, pharmacies, or other private operators. Applications can be submitted to the PMB Environment Directorate and will be assessed within 30 days. Indoor climate shelters will operate throughout the year, during the normal opening hours of the host institutions.

The initiative is particularly important for older people, who are more vulnerable to hyperthermia and dehydration. Doctors advise the elderly to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day and to make use of such refuge spaces when they are out and about.