Some destinations aren’t made for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you actually savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own pace.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The forms of locations exactly where locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, over lifetime.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels vital. It's possible it’s a response to several years of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place after you last but not least begin to price time as much as length. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent a long time exploring how we connect with tradition and position, is a component of that movement. His name has become connected with a deeper, more considerate means of viewing the entire world.

So should you’re able to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that almost need it.

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

There’s not A lot to try and do, that is exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to note the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the type of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.

The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from 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 publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially helps make a visit very last for a longer time inside your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which is to mention, slowly.

There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that check here feel much more like residing rooms.

If you have caught in a very discussion with anyone more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the best travel tales get started.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a look at. Every single look at includes a breeze.

However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People choose their time here, and finally, so does one.

Seeking much more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foods and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than the usual desired destination.

Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Permit it come to you.

Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on sluggish travel — how locations similar to this give a unique sort of luxury. One that doesn’t include a value tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.

Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, nonetheless it benefits those that recognize. You wander the loop and then stroll it yet again, seeing some thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t altered” way.

Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Portion of a preservation job — holding the earlier alive by inviting attendees into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this one. His web page talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy listed here, that's what makes it unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Intelligent
In this article’s the detail. You could see Italy in weekly. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh idea. But it surely’s 1 we’re at last able to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.