Some destinations aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow travel in Italy helps you to definitely savor local culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private rate.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill following midday. The forms of spots in which locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, more than everyday living.

In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Probably it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place when you ultimately start to price time as much as length. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His identify happens to be associated with a further, a lot more thoughtful way of looking at the world.

So if you’re ready to go gradual — therefore you’re imagining Italy — Here's seven places that nearly demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Sunlight.

There’s not A great deal to accomplish, which is exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears to the rocks.

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

Want to understand why that sort of vacation sticks with men and women? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down actually makes a visit final longer in the memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which is to mention, gradually.

There’s a watch from the sting of town that’s value one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that sense more like living rooms.

If you will get caught in a very dialogue with anyone more mature, more info Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the top journey stories begin.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was designed to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner incorporates a look at. Each and every check out features a breeze.

However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino growing old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today just take their time here, and finally, so do you.

In search of much more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the read through 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 methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than get more info a place.

Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything below. You Permit it come to you.

Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on gradual journey — how areas like this get more info offer another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a cost tag.

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

Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, however it benefits people who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it all over again, viewing something new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this one. His web page talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.

Sluggish Is The brand new Smart
In this article’s the point. You'll be able to see Italy in each week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap photos. Obtain ticket stubs. But click here will it stay with you?

Or will you overlook it by subsequent Tuesday?

Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh concept. But it’s one particular we’re last but not least all set to hear.

So go. Bit by bit. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.