Find Sun on the Terrace — SunSpotr Beginner's Guide 2026

The sun doesn't move in a straight line across the sky — it traces a skewed arc depending on the time of day, season and your latitude. What makes it hard to predict the sun position at a specific terrace is that surrounding buildings can cast shadows in ways that aren't at all obvious until you're actually sitting there. The sun's movement through the day always follows a pattern: it rises in the east, peaks in the south (in the northern hemisphere) and descends in the west. But "south" in a dense city might be the very wall you're sitting against, and "west" might be the building corner that blocks the evening sun. A map or a sense of direction isn't enough — you need actual solar data combined with building geometry. Why building density matters can be clearly illustrated with Stockholm. In Gamla Stan, where medieval houses squeeze streets to a few metres wide, the sun windows are short and precise — typically around midday when the sun is highest and can reach down into the narrow streets. A terrace on Österlånggatan might get sun for 40 minutes at noon, then be shaded for the rest of the day. A terrace on Norr Mälarstrand, just 600 metres away, can have sun from 1pm until sunset thanks to the open waterfront position. Season changes everything. In December the sun never rises above 7 degrees above the horizon in Stockholm — buildings don't need to be tall to cast long shadows. In June the sun peaks at 54 degrees and can reach into all but the narrowest spaces. This means a terrace that's perfectly sunny in July can be cold and shaded in March, even if the temperature happens to be the same. Concrete example: A café on Hornsgatan on Södermalm with a south-facing aspect and no immediately tall neighbours to the south can have sun from early morning to late afternoon in summer. But a couple of blocks north, in Mariatorget with its denser street structure and tree-lined avenues, a café with a similar geographic exposure may get sun for only a couple of hours around midday. SunSpotr calculates these differences in real time using ray casting against 3D building models.

The SunSpotr map looks at first glance like a normal restaurant map — but what happens to the markers is what sets it apart from everything else. Yellow markers = sun right now. Each marker on the map represents an outdoor terrace venue. Yellow markers show restaurants and cafés where the terrace currently has direct sunlight, based on a calculation that updates every five minutes. Grey/dark markers indicate terraces in shade. The time slider is the most powerful tool. At the bottom of the map (or in the side panel, depending on device) is a slider that lets you move forward and backward in time — hour by hour. Move it to 6pm to see which terraces have evening sun. Move it to noon to see the lunchtime sun. This is exactly what makes SunSpotr useful for planning, not just for seeing the current situation. The date picker lets you plan ahead. Click the date above the time slider and choose any day up to 16 days out. Combined with the time slider you can precisely answer: "Saturday at 5pm — does restaurant X on Kungsholmen have sun?" The answer is the same as consulting an astronomical program, but adapted to the city's specific building geometry. Zoom level affects what you see. At low zoom you get an overview — which neighbourhoods generally have better sun positions at the selected time. Zoom in on a block and you see individual terraces and can determine exactly which side of the street is the sunny side. The filter (if available in your city) lets you filter by venue type — café, restaurant, bar. Useful when you know what you want but not where.

The sun's movement through the day creates clear patterns that are easy to learn. Here are three basic rules of thumb, illustrated with Stockholm examples. Morning (7am–10am): Seek east-facing spots and open waterfronts. Early in the morning the sun is low in the east. Terraces facing east or northeast catch the morning sun best — as do terraces along open waterways where the horizon is clear. In Stockholm this means quays and squares facing Djurgårdsbrunnsviken, Hammarby Sjöstad and the eastern side of Kungsholmen towards Karlberg. Courtyards and narrow lanes are still sleeping in shade. Lunch (11am–2pm): Seek south-facing spots and the high midday sun. At lunchtime the sun is highest in the sky and can reach most open positions. This is the best time for terraces in semi-open settings — like the classic courtyard terraces on Östermalm or Södermalm. In Gamla Stan the sun shines down into narrow lanes during these hours. At Stortorget and Köpmantorget in Gamla Stan, lunchtime in June is an almost magical moment with sun on most terraces. Evening (4pm–9pm): Seek west-facing and northwest-open positions. The evening sun is the most popular and sought-after sun type in Sweden. Terraces facing west or northwest catch the setting sun, which can be warm and low well into the evening during summer. In Stockholm, Norr Mälarstrand, Hornstull waterfront and the western quays of Kungsholmen are known for their evening sun. On Södermalm, terraces along Maria Magdalena church and the eastern side of Mariatorget are classic evening sun spots. Djurgården restaurants facing Beckholmen and Hammarby Sjöstad are also favourites. Bonus rule: Avoid deep courtyards early and late. Courtyards and back gardens are wonderful for warmth and wind shelter, but sun only reaches them when it's at its highest. Plan the courtyard terrace for lunch, not for 5pm.

Planning a terrace day with SunSpotr takes less than 5 minutes but can make the difference between a sunny experience and a cold, shaded disappointment. Here are the steps: Step 1: Choose city and date. Open SunSpotr and select the city you want to visit — or let the app use your location. Then select the date in the date picker if you're planning ahead. Going today? Jump to step 2. Step 2: Check the weather forecast for sun hours. SunSpotr shows sun positions based on astronomy and building geometry — not clouds. A cloudy day looks like a sunny day on the map. Always check the weather forecast for sunny periods during the day before fully trusting the sun map. Step 3: Choose the time of day with the slider. Decide roughly when you want to sit outside — lunch, early afternoon or evening. Drag the time slider to that time and see which terraces light up yellow. Step 4: Compare 2–3 options. Zoom in on the yellow markers. Click a marker to see the restaurant's name and, if available, reviews or opening hours. Then pick 2–3 candidates and check that they're open (SunSpotr is not always updated with temporary closures — call ahead if you're unsure). Step 5: Arrive with a buffer. Come 30–45 minutes before the sunniest period to secure a good table. The most popular sun terraces in Stockholm — such as Norr Mälarstrand on a beautiful June summer evening — can fill up with walk-in guests within minutes of the sun reaching the terrace. Step 6: Have a backup. If your first choice is full or closed, have an alternative ready. SunSpotr makes it easy to quickly compare neighbouring terraces — often there's an equally good sun terrace 100 metres away that's less well-known and easier to get a table at.