Rats near restaurants and trash on beaches — Europe's beloved city in trouble

A viral video by a Romanian tourist has exposed unsanitary conditions in Naples: mountains of garbage on the streets, rats near restaurants, and polluted beaches, including Posillipo. Local sanitation services are struggling to keep up, while residents complain about a lack of police at night and rising crime.

A viral video posted by a Romanian tourist on September 13, 2026, has once again drawn attention to the sanitation crisis in Naples. The footage shows streets piled with garbage away from tourist routes. The problem also affects prestigious areas: on Posillipo beach, near the Palazzo Donn'Anna, vacationers leave mountains of waste that the Asìa Mare cleaning services cannot handle. Rats scurry among the rocks even near Michelin-starred restaurants. In the city center, on Via Agostino Depretis and Via Alcide De Gasperi, overflowing trash bins have become part of the landscape. Residents also complain about the absence of police in the evening and fear of being robbed, despite the proximity of a Guardia di Finanza unit. Earlier, a shocking discovery was reported — a severed horse's head among the rocks by the water.