Some destinations aren’t made for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual journey in Italy means that you can certainly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of spots in which locals learn how to linger — above coffee, in excess of tales, above everyday living.

In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good concept. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a response to yrs of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what transpires after you ultimately start to worth time just as much as length. In any case, more travelers are discovering joy in Understanding to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years Discovering how we connect to culture and area, is a component of that movement. His identify has become affiliated with a further, far more thoughtful strategy for viewing the entire world.

So in case you’re able to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that nearly demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander throughout a protracted, elevated path, and whenever you arrive, it’s silent. Stone residences. Very small gardens. One cat stretching during the Sunshine.

There’s not Considerably to perform, and that is exactly the level. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed suitable in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears to the rocks.

The speed here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically will make a trip past extended within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes increase right here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — which can be to convey, little by little.

There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that sense extra like dwelling rooms.

If you get stuck inside a conversation with a person older, let it happen. That’s exactly where the top 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 check out features a breeze.

But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.

Trying to find extra context on why in this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine prior to deciding to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Are living in this article. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels more similar to a mood than the usual desired destination.

Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Allow it come to you.

Forbes captured this emotion in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how sites such as this supply a special kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a value tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.

Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely rewards people that recognize. You wander the loop after which wander it once more, observing some thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to homemade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.

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

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are A part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this just one. His web site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in a week. You may here hit the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget about it by following Tuesday?

Vacation like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new notion. However it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to hear.

So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for a while. Allow Italy come to you.