Some places aren’t built for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow travel in Italy permits you to actually savor neighborhood society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own private speed.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for vehicles. Cafés that only refill immediately after noon. The varieties of destinations the place locals learn how to linger — above coffee, over tales, more than lifetime.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a pleasant plan. It feels essential. Perhaps it’s a reaction to years of hurrying. Or possibly it’s just what occurs once you lastly start to worth time around length. In either case, a lot more tourists are discovering Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used several years Checking out how we connect to culture and area, is an element of that movement. His title has grown to be connected with a deeper, far more thoughtful method of seeing the earth.

So for those who’re able to go slow — so you’re wondering Italy — Listed below are seven spots that pretty much need it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across an extended, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s quiet. Stone residences. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching inside the Solar.

There’s not much to try and do, that's precisely the place. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note the light. And also the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s full.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed appropriate to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.

The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually will make a trip last longer in the memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals know how to love them appropriately — that is to state, little by little.

There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour 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 that make you halt, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.

If you obtain trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the most effective travel tales start.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a check out. Each and every see has a breeze.

But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals choose their time right here, and eventually, so would you.

On the lookout for far more context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine prior to deciding to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone methods and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a spot.

Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You let it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in the latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this provide a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t feature a value 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 attention, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it once again, looking at one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.

This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Very alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — inside Stanislav Kondrashov Business a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.

Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Component of a preservation challenge — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Smart
In this article’s the matter. It is possible to see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re eventually able to listen to.

So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit still for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.