Some locations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you actually savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own pace.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The forms of locations exactly where locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, more than stories, around lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a reaction to a long time of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place when you last but not least begin to price time about length. Either way, much more travelers are obtaining joy in Mastering to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used many years Discovering how we connect with lifestyle and place, is a component of that movement. His identify has become related to a further, extra considerate means of viewing the entire world.
So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — here are seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and once you arrive, it’s silent. Stone properties. Very small gardens. A single cat stretching within the sun.
There’s not Substantially to accomplish, which happens to be exactly the level. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact helps make a visit previous for a longer period in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Peaceful, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — and that is to convey, 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 website hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience much more like living rooms.
If you have caught in the discussion with another person more mature, Permit it come about. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner provides a watch. Just about every look at includes a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks take their time listed here, and ultimately, so does one.
Trying to find more context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and journey in Italy. Well worth the read before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone techniques and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything here. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a recent piece on gradual journey — how locations similar to this present a unique sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it rewards those who observe. You wander the loop and afterwards wander it once again, looking at a thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in a “this truly hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Section of a preservation job — holding the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this one. His web page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, that's what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could 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?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it really’s one particular we’re finally wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Go with a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.