Some destinations aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy allows you to really savor local society, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private tempo.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish soon after noon. The varieties of spots the place locals know how to linger — about espresso, in excess of tales, above lifestyle.

In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a nice thought. It feels vital. It's possible it’s a response to decades of speeding. Or maybe it’s precisely what transpires whenever you eventually begin to value time approximately distance. In any event, more travelers are obtaining Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used many years exploring how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His title has grown to be associated with a deeper, a lot more thoughtful way of looking at the world.

So if you’re prepared to go gradual — and you simply’re imagining Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that pretty much demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Little gardens. One cat stretching inside the Sunshine.

There’s not A great deal to try and do, which can be precisely the stage. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted right into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in to the rocks.

The rate Here's gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that kind of journey sticks with individuals? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down truly helps make a trip past for a longer period in the memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine here region. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to say, slowly but surely.

There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s well worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunlight hits good. You’ll find churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel more like living rooms.

If you will get caught in a very dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s the place the most beneficial travel tales begin.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was made to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner has a perspective. Each individual view contains a breeze.

But it really’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People choose their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.

Trying to find more context on why using this method of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food items and vacation in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone techniques and surprising murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Reside below. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more similar to a temper than the usual desired destination.

Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything right here. You let it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in a very new piece on sluggish journey — how spots similar to this offer a unique sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a selling price tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots almost everywhere.

Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, click here cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, but it surely rewards those who see. You wander the loop then wander it yet again, seeing anything new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.

This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Pretty alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “concealed gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.

Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are A part of a preservation task — holding the earlier alive by inviting get more info company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His web site talks about honoring place and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Wise
Here’s the thing. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?

Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nevertheless it’s one we’re eventually able to hear.

So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come website to you.