Some destinations aren’t created for speed. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish journey in Italy means that you can genuinely savor local tradition, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own rate.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slim for autos. Cafés that only refill just after midday. The styles of places exactly where locals learn how to linger — about coffee, over tales, above existence.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a good thought. It feels important. Maybe it’s a response to a long time of hurrying. Or even it’s precisely what happens any time you ultimately begin to value time just as much as length. In any case, much more travelers are locating Pleasure in Mastering to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in a long time Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and area, is an element of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, more considerate means of seeing the world.
So in the event you’re ready to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss 7 places that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll across a protracted, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone houses. Small gardens. An individual cat stretching during the Solar.
There’s not Significantly to try and do, which happens to be exactly the stage. You wander, perhaps seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to notice the light. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes some drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built appropriate in to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears into your rocks.
The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of vacation sticks with people? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down essentially makes a trip past extended within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Silent, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals understand how to delight in them thoroughly — that is to say, slowly and gradually.
There’s a see from the sting of city that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the sun hits just right. You’ll discover church buildings with read more unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you cease, and piazzas that sense more like living rooms.
If you have stuck in the conversation with somebody more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s where the most effective travel tales commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner provides a see. Each and every view incorporates a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You received’t hurry something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People today consider their time below, and finally, so do you.
Seeking additional context on why by doing this of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food stuff and journey in Italy. Worth the study before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone steps and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the working read more day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels extra like a mood than the usual spot.
Sunsets strike distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something listed here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a new piece on slow journey — how destinations similar to this offer you a distinct sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it benefits those who see. You wander the loop and after that wander more info it again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing more info to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this really hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Element of a preservation task — preserving the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this a single. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy listed here, which can be what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Intelligent
Below’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You may strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by upcoming Tuesday?
Journey such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a whole new idea. Nonetheless it’s a person we’re ultimately wanting to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Go with a village. Sit however for some time. Allow Italy come to you.