Some destinations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy permits you to actually savor regional culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own personal pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for autos. Cafés that only fill up following midday. The types of places wherever 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 several years of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what occurs any time you lastly start to value time around length. Either way, a lot more vacationers are obtaining joy in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that motion. His title has grown to be affiliated with a further, far more thoughtful technique for observing the earth.
So when you’re willing to go slow — and you’re wondering 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 on a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated route, and whenever you arrive, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. One cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not much to perform, which happens to be exactly the place. You wander, probably get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You begin to note the light. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should 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. Virtually 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 within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that kind of journey sticks with folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact helps make a visit previous lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve below, and locals know how to appreciate them appropriately — which is to say, slowly.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worth one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that sense extra like dwelling rooms.
If you get stuck in a conversation with somebody more mature, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the most effective travel tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner incorporates a look at. Each and every view contains a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting old in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals choose their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.
Seeking more context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual location.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in the modern piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this provide another form of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, but it rewards those who detect. You wander the loop then wander it once more, observing one thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially 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. A few of the inns are Portion of a preservation venture — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this a single. His webpage talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, that's what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the check here New Smart
In this article’s the matter. It is possible to see Italy in per week. You can strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But it really’s one particular we’re finally willing to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit still for a while. Allow Italy come to you.