Some sites aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to really savor nearby culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after noon. The styles of spots in which locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, above life.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs any time you finally start to worth time up to length. In any case, more travelers are locating 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 motion. His identify has grown to be associated with a further, additional considerate means of viewing the entire world.
So should you’re willing to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunshine.
There’s not much to carry out, which can be exactly the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed right into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of travel sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact can make a trip very last more time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — which can be to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you have trapped inside a conversation with an individual older, Allow it transpire. That’s check here where by the best vacation tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal city,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner has a perspective. Each and every see has a breeze.
But it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t hurry something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks take their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.
Searching for additional context on why by doing this of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone techniques and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host live shows 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 slow check here and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in the modern piece on slow vacation — how destinations 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 website can be a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards those who detect. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it once again, looking at a little something more info new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are A part of a preservation undertaking — preserving the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this one. His page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, which is what can make 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 pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it really’s one particular we’re finally wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.