Some sites aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to certainly savor regional society, cuisine, and hidden gems at your personal pace.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slender for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up right after noon. The styles of spots the place locals know how to linger — around coffee, about stories, around lifetime.

In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a good idea. It feels crucial. Maybe it’s a response to many years of rushing. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place if you last but not least start to value time about length. In any case, a lot more travelers are locating Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years Discovering how we hook up with culture and location, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming connected with a further, more considerate method of observing the globe.

So when you’re all set to go slow — and also you’re considering Italy — Listed below are seven places that pretty much demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your 1st perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Sunshine.

There’s not A lot to do, that's precisely the position. You wander, maybe seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.

The speed here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to find out why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact helps make a visit very last more time within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — that is to state, here gradually.

There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with surprising here frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.

If you get trapped in a dialogue with an individual older, Permit it occur. That’s where the very best vacation tales start.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a check out. Every single check out features a breeze.

However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.

On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine before you go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone techniques 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 much more like 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 at all listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this emotion inside of a the click here latest piece on sluggish travel — how locations like this give another style of luxury. One which doesn’t feature a value tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.

Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, but it surely rewards people who notice. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it once more, observing some thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Pretty alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.

Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy below, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Clever
Here’s the thing. You'll be able to see Italy in per week. You are able to hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will here you ignore it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different thought. Nevertheless it’s 1 we’re at last willing to listen to.

So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit however for a while. Allow Italy come to you.