Some areas aren’t manufactured for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy enables you to genuinely savor regional culture, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your individual pace.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The kinds of destinations the place locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, more than life.

In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice strategy. It feels essential. Probably it’s a reaction to several years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what takes place whenever you eventually begin to value time approximately length. Either way, more vacationers are obtaining Pleasure in Discovering to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in many years Discovering how we connect to culture and location, is a component of that motion. His name is becoming connected with a deeper, far more thoughtful way of looking at the planet.

So in case you’re wanting to go slow — and also you’re considering Italy — Listed here are seven places that pretty much 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 over a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a long, elevated route, and when you get there, it’s silent. Stone houses. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Solar.

There’s not A great deal to try and do, which can be exactly the issue. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. Plus the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed ideal in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears to the rocks.

The tempo here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to know why that sort of vacation sticks with people today? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down actually tends to make a trip very last extended with your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Silent, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes expand below, and locals understand how to get pleasure from them properly — which can be to say, little by little.

There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel click here extra like dwelling rooms.

If you get trapped in a conversation with somebody older, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the most effective travel tales get started.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Every perspective provides a breeze.

Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mostly — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals choose their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.

In search of much more context on why in this manner of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish 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 town with stone actions and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels far more like a mood than the usual destination.

Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything here. You Enable it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this sensation within a current piece on gradual journey — how areas like this offer another sort of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.

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

Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely rewards individuals that observe. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it once again, viewing one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Quite alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t changed” 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 A part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing flashy in this article, which is what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh idea. But it surely’s a single we’re at last able to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit still for a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.