Some spots aren’t built for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow travel in Italy helps you to certainly savor neighborhood tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own rate.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The styles of spots where locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, about stories, more than existence.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a good plan. It feels necessary. Possibly it’s a reaction to several years of rushing. Or possibly it’s just what transpires if you ultimately begin to price time up to length. In any case, far more vacationers are finding joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended many years exploring how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His identify has become linked to a deeper, a lot more considerate technique for observing the earth.
So for those who’re willing to go gradual — and also you’re wondering Italy — Here's 7 places that pretty much demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You wander throughout a protracted, elevated route, and when you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone properties. Small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Solar.
There’s not much to do, which happens to be exactly the point. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to notice The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the type of traveler who likes a bit of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed appropriate into the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears into your rocks.
The pace here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact would make a trip final lengthier inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes improve right here, and locals understand how to get pleasure from them effectively — that is to state, slowly and gradually.
There’s a perspective from the edge of city that’s really worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll come across churches with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you prevent, and piazzas that sense far more like dwelling rooms.
If you will get caught inside a discussion with someone more mature, let it take place. That’s where by the top travel stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was created to be “the best metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner incorporates a watch. Every perspective contains a breeze.
But it really’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, generally — pecorino getting older in shop windows and on counters, all set to sample. You received’t hurry something in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women choose their time here, and finally, so would you.
In search of more context on why this way of traveling issues? check here Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food stuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone measures and unexpected murals and shadows that shift as the day moves. Artists Dwell here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a place.
Sunsets hit unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything in this article. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a current piece on slow journey — how destinations such as this supply a different form of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it rewards those that see. You walk the loop and then stroll it once more, viewing one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Component of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, which can be what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new idea. But it surely’s 1 we’re at last able to listen to.
So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.