Best places to visit in Europe in August

Europe

Denmark · 21°C (70°F) · 9 rainy days

Copenhagen

Harbour swims, Tivoli lights, Danish design and a city made for bikes. Still summery with the warmest sea of the year; festivals fill the calendar before autumn.

Germany · 25°C (77°F) · 8 rainy days

Berlin

Cold War history, world-class museums and nights that never end. Warm and busy, with open-air culture across the city and lakes at their warmest.

Ireland · 19°C (66°F) · 11 rainy days

Dublin

Georgian squares, free museums, trad-music pubs and a coastline by train. Mild and busy with summer visitors; the sea is at its warmest, though still bracing.

Iceland · 14°C (57°F) · 12 rainy days

Reykjavík

A small, walkable capital and base for geysers, waterfalls and northern lights. Still peak season and mild; nights begin to darken late in the month.

Germany · 24°C (75°F) · 10 rainy days

Cologne

Gothic cathedral, Kölsch brewhouses and Germany's wildest carnival. Warm and lively; one of the world's biggest video-game fairs fills hotels for a week.

Germany · 25°C (77°F) · 9 rainy days

Frankfurt

Skyline, riverside museums and apple-wine taverns on the Main. Warm and relaxed as many locals travel; the big museum festival closes the month.

Switzerland · 26°C (79°F) · 8 rainy days

Geneva

Lake Geneva's jet d'eau, a Calvinist old town and the world's diplomats. Hot and sunny, with the lake at its warmest; many residents leave on holiday.

Germany · 23°C (73°F) · 12 rainy days

Hamburg

Harbour city of brick warehouses, Alster lakes and the Elbphilharmonie. Warm and lively, with summer festivals and evenings outdoors.

Finland · 21°C (70°F) · 10 rainy days

Helsinki

Sea fortress, public saunas and Nordic design on a Baltic peninsula. Warm with the sea at its warmest, and the city's cultural season restarts with big festivals.

Norway · 21°C (70°F) · 12 rainy days

Oslo

Fjord-side architecture, Munch and Viking-age history with forest on the doorstep. Still warm, with the sea at its warmest for swimming; showers become more frequent late in the month.

Latvia · 22°C (72°F) · 10 rainy days

Riga

Art Nouveau boulevards, a Hanseatic old town and a market in zeppelin hangars. Warm with the sea at its warmest; the city festival brings concerts and markets to the streets.

Sweden · 22°C (72°F) · 9 rainy days

Stockholm

A capital on 14 islands, a 17th-century warship and the archipelago on the doorstep. Still warm, with the best water for swimming and crayfish parties; evenings start to darken again.

Estonia · 21°C (70°F) · 10 rainy days

Tallinn

Walled medieval Old Town, creative factory districts and the Baltic shore. Still warm, with the sea at its warmest; showers become more frequent later in the month.

Lithuania · 22°C (72°F) · 9 rainy days

Vilnius

Baroque old town, a self-declared artists' republic and wooded river valleys. Warm and summery, good for lake swimming at Trakai and evening walks.

Switzerland · 24°C (75°F) · 11 rainy days

Zurich

Lakeside old town, world-class art and swimming in the Limmat. Hot spells and thunderstorms; big events fill the lakeside.

Switzerland · 23°C (73°F) · 12 rainy days

Interlaken

Gateway to the Jungfrau region between two turquoise Alpine lakes. Warm and busy, with lake swimming at its best and high trails clear of snow.

Beach, city or budget: August picks by trip type

What's on in August

Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.

• Copenhagen: Copenhagen Pride (usually August)
• Berlin: Long Night of Museums (usually August)
• Dublin: Dublin Horse Show at the RDS (usually August)
• Reykjavík: Reykjavík Pride (usually early to mid-August)
• Cologne: Gamescom video-game fair at Koelnmesse (usually August)
• Frankfurt: Mainfest on the Römerberg and riverbank (usually early August)
• Geneva: Swiss National Day — celebrations and fireworks (1 August)
• Hamburg: Christopher Street Day pride parade (usually early August)
• Helsinki: Flow Festival — music and arts festival in Suvilahti (usually mid-August)
• Oslo: Øya Festival — large music festival in Tøyen Park (usually August)
• Riga: Riga City Festival — concerts and events across the centre (usually mid-to-late August)
• Stockholm: Stockholm Pride (usually late July or early August)

Daylight in August

Day length on these trips ranges from about 14.1 hours in Geneva to 16.4 hours in Reykjavík (sunrise to sunset on 15 August). Longer days mean more sightseeing time; shorter ones favour museums, food and evenings.

August weather compared

Questions travellers ask