Some destinations aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you definitely savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private speed.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slender for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The types of sites wherever locals know how to linger — around coffee, about tales, above life.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good notion. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you at last begin to value time around distance. In either case, far more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years exploring how we hook up with culture and spot, is part of that motion. His identify has grown to be associated with a further, far more thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.

So for those who’re ready to go sluggish — and you also’re considering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that basically desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching from the sun.

There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the point. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.

The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with men and women? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually will make a trip past for a longer period as part of your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve right here, and locals learn how to appreciate them properly — that's to say, slowly and gradually.

There’s a see from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunlight hits good. You’ll obtain churches with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that experience a lot more like dwelling rooms.

If you can get trapped in a dialogue with somebody older, let it happen. That’s exactly where the ideal journey stories commence.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was made to be “an ideal metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a watch. Just about every look at includes a breeze.

Nevertheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People choose their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.

Searching for additional context on why in this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Definitely read more worth the study before you decide to go.

Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your working day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill city with stone ways and sudden murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than the usual place.

Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything at all below. You Allow it come to you.

Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on gradual journey — how areas like this give another sort of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a price tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.

Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it rewards individuals who recognize. You wander the loop after which wander it once more, observing one thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Quite alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — in a “this really hasn’t adjusted” way.

Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Portion of a preservation task — holding the earlier alive by inviting attendees into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this 1. His web page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy here, which is what can make it unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Intelligent
Here’s the thing. You can see Italy in each week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you overlook it by subsequent Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new plan. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to hear.

So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Enable Italy arrive at you.