Heat in Prague by neighbourhood
On a hot day the gap between a baking street and a shady neighbourhood full of trees can be bigger than you would expect. Where Prague overheats in summer, where it stays cool and what to look for when choosing a flat.
What a heat island is
A city warms up more than the countryside around it in summer: roofs, asphalt and concrete soak up the sun during the day and give the heat back slowly at night. This is called the urban heat island. You feel it most at night, when the hot streets don’t have time to cool down and it is hard to sleep in a flat. Trees, lawns and water do the opposite: they give shade and cool the air by evaporating water.
Which neighbourhoods overheat and which don’t
We compare the surface temperature on summer days from Landsat satellite images, as the difference from the city average, for 85 neighbourhoods. The coolest surface is in Klánovice (-7.5 °C), Újezd nad Lesy (-6.1 °C) and Liboc (-5.6 °C). The ones that overheat most are Vršovice (+3.0 °C), Nové Město (+3.0 °C) and Černý Most (+2.6 °C).
Prague’s coolest neighbourhoods in summer
- -7.5 °C against the city average Klánovice
- -6.1 °C against the city average Újezd nad Lesy Praha 21
- -5.6 °C against the city average Liboc Praha 6
- -3.8 °C against the city average Vokovice Praha 6
- -2.7 °C against the city average Běchovice
- -2.5 °C against the city average Bohnice Praha 8
- -2.4 °C against the city average Hodkovičky Praha 4
- -2.3 °C against the city average Dolní Počernice
- -2.0 °C against the city average Újezd u Průhonic Praha-Újezd
- -1.9 °C against the city average Nebušice
This is the temperature of the surface (roofs, streets, lawns) at the moment of the image, not the air temperature. It still shows the differences between neighbourhoods well: where the surface is warmer, the air and above all the nights tend to be warmer too.
Trees cool the most
The largest share of land under tree and shrub canopy is in Klánovice (68 %), Liboc (58 %) and Újezd nad Lesy (58 %). A tree in front of a building shades the façade and the pavement and can cool a street noticeably in summer, so look at the greenery in the street itself, not just at a park a few blocks away.
Prague’s neighbourhoods with the most trees
- 68 % of the area under trees Klánovice
- 58 % of the area under trees Liboc Praha 6
- 58 % of the area under trees Újezd nad Lesy Praha 21
- 49 % of the area under trees Vokovice Praha 6
- 48 % of the area under trees Motol Praha 5
- 46 % of the area under trees Košíře Praha 5
- 43 % of the area under trees Velká Chuchle
- 43 % of the area under trees Radotín Praha 16
- 42 % of the area under trees Hodkovičky Praha 4
- 41 % of the area under trees Hrdlořezy Praha 9
What to look for in a flat
- Floor: a flat under a flat roof without insulation gets the hottest in summer. Attic and top-floor flats need a well-insulated roof.
- Windows: south- and especially west-facing windows catch the afternoon sun. Ask whether external blinds or shutters can be fitted: shading outside works much better than inside.
- Ventilation: a flat with windows on two sides of the building can be aired by a through draught at night. The courtyard side tends to be quieter and often cooler.
- Surroundings: trees in the street, a park or water nearby do more than the neighbours’ air conditioning. A hot car park or a large area of roofs under the windows gives the heat back at night.
- An older brick building with thick walls stays cool longer than a light structure; in new builds, ask about shading and heat-recovery ventilation.
Frequently asked questions
Where is it coolest in Prague in summer?
According to satellite images, the coolest summer surface is in Klánovice (-7.5 °C against the city average), Újezd nad Lesy (-6.1 °C) and Liboc (-5.6 °C). Trees, woods and water do most of the cooling.
Which part of Prague overheats the most in summer?
The warmest surface is in Vršovice (+3.0 °C against the city average), Nové Město (+3.0 °C) and Černý Most (+2.6 °C). What overheats are mainly roofs, asphalt and concrete without shade.
Where are the most trees in Prague?
The largest share of land under tree and shrub canopy is in Klánovice (68 %), Liboc (58 %) and Újezd nad Lesy (58 %), based on the satellite land cover map.