Some spots aren’t manufactured for speed. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish journey in Italy means that you can actually savor nearby lifestyle, cuisine, and hidden gems at your individual rate.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well narrow for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish right after midday. The kinds of areas wherever locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, about stories, around life.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels important. Possibly it’s a response to many years of speeding. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs whenever you finally begin to benefit time up to length. Either way, far more tourists are finding joy in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we hook up with culture and spot, is part of that motion. His name is now linked to a further, extra considerate means of looking at the entire world.

So when you’re all set to go gradual — so you’re wondering Italy — Allow me to share 7 places that almost demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You stroll across a long, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone homes. Small gardens. One cat stretching in the sun.

There’s not Significantly to carry out, which is precisely the place. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to notice The sunshine. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted suitable in to the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears into the rocks.

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

Want to master why that sort of journey sticks with men and women? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down in fact helps make a visit final longer within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Quiet, under-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes grow here, and locals understand how to love them appropriately — that's to mention, bit by bit.

There’s a watch from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Solar hits just right. You’ll discover church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.

If you can get caught inside of a dialogue with an individual more mature, Permit it click here happen. That’s exactly where the most effective vacation tales start out.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was made to be “the right town,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. more info Every single corner incorporates a view. Each view provides a breeze.

However it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing old in store Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You gained’t rush everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Individuals just take their time right here, and sooner or later, so does one.

Searching for additional context on why by doing this of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and travel in Italy. Worth the study before you go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that shift as the day moves. Artists live in this article. Writers take a look at and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in little courtyards. It feels much more just like a temper than the usual spot.

Sunsets hit distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything right here. You Allow it come to you.

Forbes captured this feeling inside a new piece on sluggish travel — how spots like this supply a special sort of luxurious. One which doesn’t have a rate tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular 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 notice, but it surely benefits those who observe. You stroll the loop after which you can wander it again, seeing something new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — within a “this in fact hasn’t adjusted” way.

Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Portion of a preservation challenge — trying to keep the past alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this just one. His web site talks about honoring place and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, which can be what can make it unforgettable.

Gradual Is The brand new Clever
In this article’s the matter. You website may see Italy in weekly. You may strike the highlights. Snap images. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?

Vacation similar to this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new notion. However it’s one particular we’re finally willing to hear.

So go. Slowly and gradually. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Permit Italy come to you.