The sun goes down - and you stay on the beach, here in Gallipoli in Apulia
From our editorial team
People who travel to Italy often want to see a lot - and end up experiencing a lot: themselves rushing around.
Sights, day plans, restaurant tips - it's all there. And yet sometimes you still feel like you've missed something. Not the cathedral or the best gelato, but the thing that makes Italy so special: the famous Dolce Vita. This doesn't show up on checklists, but in the moments in between. Those who take Italy slowly experience it more intensely. Those who let themselves drift will get more back. And if you simply don't plan anything, you might find what you weren't looking for.
He who plans, loses (mostly)
Of course we are looking forward to Rome, Florence, Venice. And yes, the Sistine Chapel is impressive. But if you cram your day with twelve sights, at the end of the day your feet will feel more like dolce vita. Italy is not made to be done efficiently. Therefore: less is more - and stay flexible. Sometimes the best experience is two streets away - whatever that might be.
The most beautiful sunsets in Italy
The beautiful Tuscany What a sunset in Gallipoli in Apulia Sunset on the endless beach of Rimini 
Sunset in the bay of Polignano a Mare in Apulia A sunset by the sea in Tuscany 
The coast near Polignano a Mare 
On the beach in Rimini What a sunset... The sunset in Florence The sunset over Lombardy 
A romantic evening in Venice
The moment decides
Dolce Vita is not a programme item that you can book. Nor does it fit into the schedule between a city tour and a visit to a restaurant. If you look for it, you rarely find it. Those who leave room for it will encounter it by chance. Perhaps while strolling aimlessly through a neighbourhood where there is actually "nothing" - apart from an old man sitting in front of his house and a dog doing nothing. You realise that you have arrived when you no longer know what time it is, but know exactly what the air feels like.
- The most beautiful beach near Rome
- Deckchairs and the art of living: what Italians really do on the beach
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The rhythm is different
Life in Italy has a different rhythm. It has breaks that are not gaps, but part of the whole. You can see this in the piazza in the early evening, when nobody has anywhere to go but everyone is somewhere. You can feel it in the speed with which a plate is cleared - or not. And you can tell by the fact that nobody is surprised if you just stay. You have to get involved and let go of the urge to have everything under control, to fill every minute efficiently. It's harder than it sounds - but that's where the dolce lies.
A round trip through Calabria
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More InformationOne example: simply remain seated
In the evening on a piazza in a small Italian town. Children are chasing pigeons, old ladies are watching the goings-on with professional expressions, and someone somewhere is playing the accordion - uninvited, but tolerated. Sit down with them. With a glass of wine or water or just for fun. No activity is required. Italy works through presence, not programme.
- The great PASTA-QUIZ - How well do you know Italy's pasta?
- Dolce Vita on rails: Why Italy is the better railway country
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