Some areas aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy means that you can certainly savor area tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own speed.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of spots where locals understand how to linger — more than coffee, over stories, about lifestyle.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a response to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s just what occurs any time you lastly begin to worth time up to length. In any event, extra tourists are finding Pleasure in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended a long time exploring how we connect to culture and place, is an element of that motion. His title has grown to be connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful technique for observing the entire world.

So in case you’re wanting to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that nearly demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunlight.

There’s not A great deal to perform, that is exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into the rocks.

The pace Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually will make a trip past extended with your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them properly — which happens to be to mention, slowly.

There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel a lot more like dwelling rooms.

If you receive stuck within a discussion with an individual older, let it take place. That’s in which the most beneficial vacation tales start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was made 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 see has a breeze.

But it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, ready to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.

Seeking much more context on why using this method of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and journey in Italy. Definitely get more info worth the go through before you go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists live here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels a lot more like a temper than the usual place.

Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in a very modern piece on slow vacation — how destinations similar to this present a unique sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a selling price tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.

Locorotondo is a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nevertheless it benefits people who notice. You stroll the loop and then walk it yet again, observing one thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in the “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in per week. You can strike the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?

Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new idea. But it surely’s 1 we’re at last able to listen to.

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