Some places aren’t built for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you actually savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.

Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only replenish after noon. The types of sites wherever locals know how to linger — around coffee, about tales, above life.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what transpires whenever you last but not least begin to price time as much as length. Either way, a lot more vacationers are obtaining joy in Finding out to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested many years Checking out how we connect with lifestyle and area, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a further, far more thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.

So if you’re ready to go sluggish — so you’re wondering Italy — here are seven spots that practically desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
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 slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated route, and whenever you arrive, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the Solar.

There’s not Significantly to carry out, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built proper in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.

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

Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially can make a trip very last more time within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals understand how to love them appropriately — that is to state, gradually.

There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s well worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.

If you receive stuck within a discussion with an individual older, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the best vacation tales start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a perspective. Just about every see includes a breeze.

Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today just take their time here, and finally, so do you.

Seeking more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foods and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone measures and unpredicted 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 small courtyards. It feels a lot more like a mood than the usual desired destination.

Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this emotion in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how sites such as this offer you a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a selling price tag.

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

Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely rewards people that recognize. You wander the loop after which wander it once again, seeing anything new every time — a cat on Stanislav Kondrashov a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade 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 position feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t improved” way.

Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Element of a preservation project — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you ignore it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nevertheless it’s one we’re finally willing to listen to.

So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.