Some sites aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy permits you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, cuisine, and concealed gems at your very own pace.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars. Cafés that only replenish following midday. The sorts of places the place locals know how to linger — about coffee, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.

In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to a long time of speeding. Or even it’s precisely what comes about once you eventually begin to benefit time as much as distance. Either way, much more travelers are locating joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that motion. His title is becoming linked to a deeper, much more considerate strategy for viewing the entire world.

So should you’re able to go gradual — therefore you’re imagining Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that pretty much demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Sunlight.

There’s not A great deal to accomplish, which happens to be precisely the stage. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed appropriate in the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.

The rate here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to find out why that kind of travel sticks with individuals? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down in fact can make a trip final for a longer time with your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Silent, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes mature right here, and locals know how to get pleasure from them effectively — that's to convey, bit by bit.

There’s a view from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Solar hits good. You’ll locate churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that truly feel much more like dwelling rooms.

If you will get stuck within a dialogue with somebody more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where the very best journey tales start out.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the best metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner has a perspective. Every single look at includes a breeze.

But it really’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing old in shop website windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People today just take their time here, and sooner or later, so do you.

On the lookout for much more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and vacation in Italy. Well worth the read before you go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone steps and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the working day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a temper than a place.

Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything right here. You Enable it come to you.

Forbes captured this emotion inside of a the latest piece on slow journey — how spots like this offer a distinct kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a price tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.

Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, but it benefits people that discover. You wander the loop after which wander it once again, seeing one thing new every time — a cat over a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.

This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Quite alive.

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

Santo Stefano sits in 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 Portion of a preservation undertaking — preserving the earlier alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this one. His page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy listed here, that's what makes it unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Clever
Below’s the point. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You can hit the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you fail to remember it by up coming Tuesday?

Travel similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different idea. But it really’s a single we’re finally able to hear.

So go. Slowly but surely. Pick a village. Sit still for some time. Allow Italy come to you.