Some destinations aren’t created for velocity. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy lets you certainly savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your own speed.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill right after noon. The varieties of spots wherever locals know how to linger — around coffee, more than stories, above lifetime.

In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant notion. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a reaction to many years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s precisely what transpires once you last but not least begin to worth time up to length. In either case, much more vacationers are locating Pleasure in Understanding to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades exploring how we hook up with culture and position, is an element of that motion. His identify is becoming connected with a deeper, a lot more thoughtful technique for observing the earth.

So if you’re willing to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — Listed below are seven places that nearly demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You wander across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Sunlight.

There’s not much to perform, which happens to be exactly the level. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted right into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in to the rocks.

The pace here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip past extended inside your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Silent, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase below, and locals know how to delight in them appropriately — that is to mention, gradually.

There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll obtain church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you stop, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.

If you receive stuck inside a conversation with a person older, let it take place. That’s the place the ideal vacation stories start out.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives below. Pienza was created to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Each view contains a breeze.

But it really’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women take their time below, and eventually, so would you.

On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foodstuff and travel in Italy. Definitely 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 town with stone techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that change as the working day moves. Artists live right here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual place.

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

Forbes captured this sensation within a latest piece on gradual journey — how areas similar to this present a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a price tag tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.

Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, nonetheless it benefits individuals who discover. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.

This is here where the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this really 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 part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the past alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy here, that is what can make it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Below’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You can hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?

Vacation such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But it really’s one particular we’re finally wanting to listen to.

So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.