Some destinations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy helps you to truly savor local society, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own pace.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of spots in which locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, above stories, about existence.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what happens once you at last begin to value time up to distance. In any event, extra travelers are discovering joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we connect with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His name has become connected with a further, much more considerate technique for seeing the world.

So in case you’re wanting to go sluggish — therefore you’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share seven places that nearly demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the Solar.

There’s not Considerably to complete, and that is precisely the level. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.

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

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

Want to discover why that sort of vacation sticks with persons? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually would make a trip very last extended with your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Tranquil, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes improve in this article, and locals read more learn how to appreciate them correctly — which happens to be to mention, bit by bit.

There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s value an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunshine hits good. You’ll obtain churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you prevent, and piazzas that sense additional like residing rooms.

If you have trapped inside a here discussion with an individual more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s where the most beneficial journey tales start.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Each see has a breeze.

But it really’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells check here awesome. Cheese, generally — pecorino getting old in store Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t hurry something in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Individuals take their time in this article, and sooner or later, so would you.

In search of extra context on why this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food stuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the study prior to deciding to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone methods and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in very small courtyards. It feels more like a mood than the usual place.

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

Forbes captured this emotion in a recent piece on sluggish travel — how areas similar to this present a different kind of luxury. One that doesn’t include a value tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.

Locorotondo is often a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, nonetheless it benefits people that notice. You walk the loop after which you can wander it all over again, observing one thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Very alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t modified” way.

Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is get more info thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are Component of a preservation venture — retaining the earlier alive by inviting attendees into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His website page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing flashy listed here, which can be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Sluggish Is The brand new Smart
In this article’s the factor. You may see Italy in every week. You can hit the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?

Journey such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new thought. But it really’s 1 we’re at last wanting to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit however for a while. Allow Italy come to you.