🇪🇸 Barcelona vs 🇧🇪 Brussels

Mediterranean — hot dry summers, mild wet winters, abundant sunshine

Barcelona enjoys one of Europe's best climates. The Mediterranean moderates temperatures year-round. Summers are hot but sea breezes (the marinada) help coastal neighborhoods. The Collserola hills create cooler, breezier upper neighborhoods.

Brussels sits in a broad valley carved by the Senne river, with the city climbing from the low-lying lower town (~15m elevation) to the upper town and surrounding plateaus (~100m). This topographic split creates distinct microclimates: the lower town is prone to fog, temperature inversions, and trapped humidity, while the higher southeastern districts enjoy better ventilation and slightly cooler summers. The city's extensive parks and forested edges — particularly the Sonian Forest to the southeast — provide significant cooling corridors, but the dense 19th-century urban core generates a pronounced heat island effect.