Naples in summer is a test of endurance. If you come prepared, you’ll sweat less. If you don’t, you’ll soon find out.
Over 30 degrees, lots of concrete, little shade. Naples shows no mercy to the unwary in summer. But if you know where to seek refuge, you’ll discover a city that carries on as normal even in extreme heat. A personal experiment in several stages.
Lesson one: The main thing is that it’s light and airy
First stop, first realisation. Those „airy“ summer trousers and blouse are definitely not airy enough – at least not for Naples. On Via Toledo, the city’s main shopping street, I find a light blue, lightweight linen tablecloth, tailored into a floor-length summer dress with colourful flowers. 20 euros. The best investment of the day. In Naples’ summer, there’s no room for fashion-related vanity – at least not for tourists. Lesson learnt: next time, pack the little one. The portable parasol, not the fold-up umbrella from the supermarket.
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Lesson Two: The Lungomare belongs to the trader
Outside, on the Lungomare, at twelve o’clock: the promenade belongs to no one anymore. Almost nobody. The only person still standing is a street vendor from Pakistan with two dozen pairs of sunglasses. He looks relaxed. He’s used to temperatures like this, he says. You believe him straight away. We don’t want to buy anything, but we want to get out of the blazing sun quickly.
Refrigeration, Part One: Patisserie
Head straight into the nearest patisserie, without a moment’s hesitation. Inside: icy air-conditioning, glass display cases full of pastries, and the unspoken understanding amongst everyone present that nobody really has to buy anything just to be standing here. Ice cubes in the coffee, and secretly under the armpits too. Naples is hot. Very hot. Lots of sun, very little mercy.
Cooling, Part Two: Metro dell’Arte
But in Naples, you can also find free air-conditioning with an artistic flair. The Metro dell'Arte – the city’s metro network – is one of the most ambitious underground art projects in Europe. Stations such as Toledo and Università aren’t just stops; they’re exhibition spaces: mosaics, installations, light art. And a pleasant 20 degrees. You go in, have a look around, then head back out. And go back in again. Until you’ve cooled down.
Cooling, Part Three: Beneath the City
No sooner are we back above ground than the afternoon sun hits us like a wet rag. Next, we head back down into the depths, this time to the Galleria Borbonica, part of Naples’ mysterious underworld. Here, too, one can still see remnants of the darkest chapter in German-Italian relations. The Nazis used to store vehicles beneath the city; today you can visit them: a bunker, a museum, a memorial. When the air-raid siren is switched on during the guided tour, a shiver runs down your spine despite the coolness. A good hour and a half later: daylight. And hunger.
The Babà Interlude
Onwards on foot to the Quartieri Spagnoli. On the way: a babà with crema, accompanied by an ice-cold caffè con panna. Three to four thousand calories, all for under five euros. Eating in Naples is a joy. That’s not just an opinion, it’s a fact.
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The hidden gem of the Neapolitan summer
200 metres further on is the real hidden gem. A small stall with a handwritten sign: Open Arms – in German: ‘open legs’. Freshly squeezed lemon, soda, and a powder called Cremor Tartaro, which makes the mixture so sour that you instinctively spread your legs at the first sip. Hence the name. Delicious. Refreshing.
The Masterpiece
Still hungry. Finally found the place: a classic trattoria in the Quartieri Spagnoli. The menu’s in Italian, and there are plenty of locals at the tables. And then – the Pizza Napoletana. A puffed-up crust, not much cheese, plenty of fruity tomato sauce. Light, airy, perfect in the heat.
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Midnight at Naples’ first late-night bar
Seated to the last seat: midnight is snack time in Naples 
Il Ciottolo in Naples - the late-night eatery mainly serves sweets Il Ciottolo in Naples - the late-night eatery mainly serves sweets Il Ciottolo in Naples - the late-night eatery mainly serves sweets Il Ciottolo in Naples - the late-night eatery mainly serves sweets Il Ciottolo in Naples - the late-night eatery mainly serves sweets Il Ciottolo in Naples - the late-night eatery mainly serves sweets
After a quick break by the hotel pool – if you’ve got it, you might as well make the most of it – we head out again around midnight. Naples never sleeps; it just takes a brief breather. At the town’s first late-night bar, calorie-laden snacks are served on plastic trays lined with paper from late evening until the early hours: Croissants, cakes filled with Kinder Bueno or Raffaello, deep-fried treats in paper cones. The place is absolutely packed. Young couples, families with children, a nonna with her grandchildren. All together, all awake, all happy.
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