Some places aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you actually savor nearby lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your very own tempo.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars. Cafés that only fill up following midday. The sorts of places where by locals understand how to linger — over coffee, around stories, in excess of lifestyle.

In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice notion. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to many years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs if you finally start to value time approximately distance. In any case, much more vacationers are obtaining joy in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His identify has become related to a further, extra considerate means of viewing the planet.

So in the event you’re prepared to go gradual — and you simply’re imagining Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that basically desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You walk throughout a protracted, elevated route, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone houses. Tiny gardens. Only one cat stretching in the sun.

There’s not Significantly to do, which can be exactly the position. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s complete.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a little bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed right in to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears into the rocks.

The tempo Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as 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 vacation sticks with individuals? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically will make a trip past more time within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes expand in this article, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them correctly — that is to convey, slowly but surely.

There’s a watch from the edge of town that’s really worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Solar hits good. You’ll find churches with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that feel much more like living rooms.

If you have caught in a very conversation with an individual more mature, Allow it occur. That’s click here the place the ideal journey stories start out.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was built to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner provides a look at. Each individual see incorporates a breeze.

But it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing older in store Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush nearly anything here in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks acquire their time below, and finally, so would you.

Searching for extra context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Worth the read through before you go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone steps and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists here live listed here. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more similar to a mood than a spot.

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

Forbes captured this feeling inside of a current piece on gradual travel — how destinations similar to this supply a special sort of luxurious. One which doesn’t come with a value tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.

Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop and then stroll it again, observing one thing new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — within a “this actually hasn’t altered” way.

Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the website inns are Portion of a preservation project — maintaining the previous alive by inviting friends into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His webpage talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy listed here, that is what can make it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Smart
In this article’s the factor. It is possible to see Italy in every week. You may strike the highlights. Snap images. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?

Journey such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new plan. But it’s a person we’re last but not least able to hear.

So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit continue to for quite a while. Allow Italy come to you.