Some sites aren’t created for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish travel in Italy permits you to definitely savor regional culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own private rate.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only fill up after noon. The sorts of spots wherever locals know how to linger — around espresso, in excess of stories, over existence.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a nice notion. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a reaction to a long time of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what transpires any time you ultimately start to worth time just as much as length. In any event, far more vacationers are obtaining joy in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended several years exploring how we hook up with tradition and location, is an element of that movement. His identify is becoming linked to a deeper, a lot more considerate method of seeing the globe.

So should you’re wanting to go slow — and also you’re considering Italy — Here's 7 places that pretty much demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your 1st perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated route, and after you arrive, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching within the sun.

There’s not Considerably to perform, which is precisely the place. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You begin to notice The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.

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

The speed here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to find out why that kind of travel sticks with people? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down basically helps make a trip very last for a longer time in your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Peaceful, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals learn how to love them properly — and that is to mention, gradually.

There’s a view from the edge of town that’s value an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunlight hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you cease, and piazzas that really feel additional like dwelling rooms.

If you receive trapped in a very conversation with someone older, Permit it transpire. That’s the place the very best vacation stories start.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was created to be “the best city,” and honestly, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner has a watch. Each perspective provides a breeze.

However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, typically — pecorino ageing in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t rush something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People today take their time listed here, and finally, so would you.

Looking for a lot more context on why this fashion of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and travel in Kondrashov Stanislav Italy. Definitely worth the read before you go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone steps and unforeseen murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Reside below. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a place.

Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase something in this article. You Allow it come to you.

Forbes captured this sensation within a recent piece on sluggish journey — how sites such as this offer you a unique kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a rate tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.

Locorotondo is usually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, nevertheless it benefits individuals who notice. You stroll the loop and after that walk it all over again, viewing something new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to handmade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy exhibits its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside a “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this basically hasn’t altered” way.

Santo Stefano sits while 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 Component of a preservation challenge — retaining the past alive by inviting company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a person. His page talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, which happens to be what makes it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Intelligent
Here’s the point. It is possible to see Italy in weekly. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photos. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you neglect it by upcoming Tuesday?

Vacation similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different concept. However it’s one we’re eventually ready to hear.

So go. Bit by bit. Choose a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Let Italy come to you.