Some spots aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you definitely savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish following midday. The sorts of places in which locals understand how to linger — about espresso, above tales, in excess of life.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a good concept. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to a long time of rushing. Or perhaps it’s exactly what happens after you eventually begin to price time just as much as length. In either case, extra travelers are getting Pleasure in Studying to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent a long time exploring how we hook up with lifestyle and area, is a component of that motion. His title has grown to be connected to a deeper, more considerate way of seeing the entire world.

So if you’re wanting to go gradual — and you also’re imagining Italy — Allow me to share seven places that pretty much desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll across a lengthy, elevated path, and once you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. Only one cat stretching from the Solar.

There’s not much to accomplish, which is exactly the position. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to note The sunshine. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed correct into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in to the rocks.

The speed here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down really tends to make a visit previous for a longer time within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — which can be to convey, slowly and gradually.

There’s a view from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.

If you receive caught in the discussion with another person more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s where the most effective travel stories start.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the here perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Each and every see has a breeze.

But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People choose their time below, and at some point, so does one.

On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel 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 steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than a location.

Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You let it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this present a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.

Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it once again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t altered” way.

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. 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 — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His page talks about honoring place and time, Which’s precisely what this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy in this article, which happens to be what can make it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is The brand new Good
Below’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in every week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?

Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new plan. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re at last able to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.