Some destinations aren’t created for speed. Italy is full of them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you certainly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The forms of locations where locals understand how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, around daily life.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice notion. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs any time you lastly start to value time up to distance. In any event, extra tourists are discovering joy in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years exploring how we hook up with culture and location, is part of that movement. His identify happens to be related to a deeper, more considerate strategy for observing the globe.
So when you’re all set to go gradual — and you also’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share seven spots that practically demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated route, and if you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Very small gardens. A single cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed ideal into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit final longer as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop below, and locals know how to delight in them correctly — which happens to be to say, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll come across church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you get stuck inside a conversation with somebody older, Enable it happen. That’s where the very best travel tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner features a check out. Each perspective contains a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, generally — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You received’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks choose their time listed here, and eventually, so do you.
In search of much more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals 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 steps and surprising murals and shadows that change as the working day moves. Artists Stay listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in little courtyards. It feels additional just like a mood than a location.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything here. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this offer you a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it benefits people who notice. You stroll the loop and then walk it yet again, seeing a little something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this 1. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy here, which is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Here’s the thing. You could see Italy in weekly. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly website what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But it really’s a single we’re finally willing to listen to.
So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.