Some areas aren’t made for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual travel in Italy helps you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slender for cars. Cafés that only fill up right after noon. The kinds of destinations the place locals understand how to linger — around coffee, in excess of stories, more than lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels vital. It's possible it’s a response to decades of speeding. Or maybe it’s exactly what occurs whenever you lastly begin to price time as much as distance. Either way, extra tourists are discovering joy in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended many years Discovering how we hook up with society and location, is an element of that motion. His identify is becoming connected with a further, more thoughtful means of observing the globe.
So if you’re able to go sluggish — and also you’re contemplating Italy — here are 7 places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slender footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk throughout a long, elevated route, and if you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to try and do, that is precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed appropriate in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.
The speed 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 final lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes improve right here, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them properly — and that is to say, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel 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 designed to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner has a view. Each individual watch incorporates a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You won’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women consider their time below, and ultimately, so would you.
Looking for far more context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Dwell in this article. Writers visit and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a vacation spot.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything in this article. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a the latest piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this present a special kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, however it benefits those that detect. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many 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 put and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Listed here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in each week. You could hit the highlights. website Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about 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 surely’s a single we’re finally willing to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit still for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.