Sunlight is all very well, but sometimes all you want is gloomy weather so you have an excuse to stay inside and appreciate the warmth. Luckily, there are many cities around the world that have built their culture around creating a cozy indoor atmosphere to deal with the common rain and cold outside. Here are some of the cities with the best indoor environments for rainy days.
Copenhagen, Denmark
One of the central concepts of Danish culture is “hygge” (pronounced “hoo-guh”), a word which can be roughly interpreted as “comfy”, “cozy”, or “familiar.” Denmark has very little sun for the wintry half of its year, and as such, each and every business is designed for maximum coziness. Tables always have candles on them, and places are decorated with warm tones and great care.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is well known as one of the rainiest spots in the USA. Residents get used to living in damp, becoming experts at staying dry, and knowing when it’s okay to get a little wet. Thanks to the rain, outdoor activities don’t abound in Seattle … but there are lots of awesome places to sit and activities to do inside. Since it’s got a largely young population, there are also lots of thrifty shops and new age coffee shops from which to watch the rain as it falls.
Cologne, Germany
Cologne has more rainy days in the year than sunny, but that’s no reason not to go. They have a cable car with beautiful views of the city even in the rain, and the largest Gothic church in northern Europe which is even more amazing to view in the rain. There are also lots of great indoor activities, especially unique museums like the Chocolate Museum, the Fragrance Museum, and the Museum of Applied Arts.