Are you traveling through Europe this summer? The study that reveals the cities with the most free drinking water fountains to beat the heat (and Lisbon ranks a strong 6th)

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Filipa Santos Sousa

 –  Editor

 ·  May 12, 2026

Are you planning your getaways for next summer, but do you usually suffer a lot from the heat? A recent study by InsureandGo, a company specializing in travel insurance, reveals which European cities offer the best access to free drinking water, so that visitors can stay hydrated. And Lisbon appears in the top 10 of the ranking, led by Barcelona ( Spain).

What does the study consist of?

InsureandGo analyzed a total of 56 European destinations that generally experience high temperatures in the summer, excluding from its sample the capitals of microstates, such as Monaco.

To arrive at the results now released, the number of public drinking water fountains per square kilometer was considered , based on data from OpenStreetMap.

After that, the cities were ranked, starting with the one with the highest concentration of free water stations and ending with the one with the lowest.

Who tops the podium?

As we mentioned earlier, Barcelona emerges as the “clear leader,” with an impressive 18 drinking fountains per square kilometer, standing out well ahead of Zurich (2nd place with 11) and Paris (3rd place with 10).

Lisbon in sixth place

In a top 15 list where Southern Europe clearly stands out, Lisbon did not disappoint and ranked 6th, with 6 free water fountains per square kilometer ( the same as the Spanish city of Valencia).   

The 15 cities with the most water fountains

According to a recent study by InsureandGo, these are the 15 European cities with the most free drinking water fountains per square kilometer:

1. Barcelona, Spain – 18 drinking fountains per km²
2. Zurich, Switzerland – 11 drinking fountains per km²
3. Paris, France – 10 drinking fountains per km²
4. Lyon, France – 7 drinking fountains per km²
5. Valencia, Spain – 6 drinking fountains per km²
6. Lisbon, Portugal – 6 drinking fountains per km²
7. Turin, Italy – 5 drinking fountains per km²
8. Milan, Italy – 4 drinking fountains per km²
9. Vienna, Austria – 4 drinking fountains per km²
10. Madrid, Spain – 3 drinking fountains per km²
11. Budapest, Hungary – 3 drinking fountains per km²
12. Amsterdam, Netherlands – 3 drinking fountains per km²
13. Brussels, Belgium – 3 drinking fountains per km²
14. Rome, Italy – 2 drinking fountains per km²
15. Nice, France – 2 drinking fountains per km²