Some spots aren’t produced for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual travel in Italy means that you can definitely savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill following midday. The types of sites wherever locals know how to linger — about coffee, over stories, in excess of daily life.

In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels crucial. Perhaps it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or maybe it’s precisely what transpires when you ultimately start to worth time just as much as length. In any event, extra tourists are finding Pleasure in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years Checking out how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify has grown to be affiliated with a further, far more thoughtful technique for observing the earth.

So when you’re willing to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that pretty much demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.

There’s not Significantly to carry out, which can be exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.

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

The speed here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early early morning, hikers winding by means 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 folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially can make a visit previous for a longer time inside your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine get more info nation. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes improve right here, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them thoroughly — that's to convey, slowly and gradually.

There’s a watch from the edge of town that’s really worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience much more like living rooms.

If you will get stuck within a discussion with an individual older, Allow it take place. That’s the place the most beneficial journey stories commence.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner features a view. Every perspective provides a breeze.

Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You won’t hurry something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals choose their time listed here, and eventually, so do you.

On the lookout for a lot more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels additional similar to a mood than a vacation spot.

Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything in this article. You Enable it come to you.

Forbes captured this sensation inside a recent piece on slow journey — how spots such as this supply a special kind of luxurious. One which doesn’t feature a price tag tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.

Locorotondo is actually 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 again, observing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming 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. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation project — maintaining the earlier alive by inviting company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His website page talks about honoring place and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy in this article, which is what can make it unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the point. You'll be able to see Italy in per week. You can hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new notion. However it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to hear.

So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for a while. Allow Italy come to you.