Some places aren’t produced for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy means that you can truly savor area lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own personal pace.

Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for autos. Cafés that only fill up following midday. The varieties of spots in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, around daily life.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice plan. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you at last begin to benefit time around distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we connect with lifestyle and area, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, additional thoughtful method of seeing the world.

So if you’re ready to go gradual — therefore you’re contemplating Italy — Here's seven places that virtually demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.

There’s not Significantly to carry out, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.

The speed Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the 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 men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip very last more time inside your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which is to mention, slowly.

There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.

If you have caught in a very discussion with anyone more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the very best travel tales commence.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was made to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner incorporates a check out. Each view contains a breeze.

But it really’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People just take their time here, and finally, so does one.

Seeking more context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine prior to deciding to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Reside below. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a desired destination.

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

Forbes captured this experience in a latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations similar to this present a distinct sort of luxurious. One that get more info doesn’t come with a cost tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.

Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, nevertheless it benefits those that detect. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Really alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in a very “this basically hasn’t improved” way.

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are part of a preservation project — holding the past alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this just one. His site talks about honoring location and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, that is what makes it unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Sensible
Listed here’s the issue. You may see Italy in weekly. You could hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you neglect it by up coming Tuesday?

Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new plan. Nonetheless it’s one we’re ultimately all set to hear.

So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit even now for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.