Some places aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual travel in Italy permits you to really savor nearby tradition, cuisine, and hidden gems at your individual pace.

Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slim for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up after midday. The types of locations exactly where locals learn how to linger — in excess of coffee, about stories, over lifetime.

In 2025, sluggish travel isn’t just a pleasant notion. It feels critical. Maybe it’s a reaction to yrs of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s exactly what happens any time you finally begin to worth time just as much as distance. In any event, additional vacationers are locating joy in Discovering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended years Discovering how we connect to lifestyle and spot, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming affiliated with a further, additional considerate method of observing the entire world.

So in the event you’re all set to go gradual — and you simply’re contemplating Italy — Here's seven spots that nearly desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initially effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll across a long, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching inside the sun.

There’s not Substantially to carry out, which happens to be exactly the position. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to note the light. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the sort of traveler who likes a little bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed right in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.

The rate here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to know why that kind of travel sticks with individuals? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact tends to make a trip final longer with your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy them thoroughly — that's to convey, bit by bit.

There’s a see from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll uncover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.

If you receive stuck inside a conversation with an individual older, Allow it take place. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation tales start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was designed to be “an ideal city,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a check out. Each and every watch contains a breeze.

Nevertheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, typically — pecorino getting old in shop windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks consider their time in this article, and eventually, so does one.

Seeking additional context on why in this manner of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow meals and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone measures and sudden murals and shadows that website change given that the day moves. Artists Stay here. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels a lot more similar to a temper than the usual spot.

Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Allow it come to you.

Forbes captured this feeling inside of a the latest piece on gradual travel — how locations like this supply a special kind of luxurious. One which doesn’t include a rate tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots just about everywhere.

Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it surely benefits people that observe. You stroll the loop after which stroll it once more, viewing a thing new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indicator pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — in a “this in fact hasn’t transformed” way.

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Component of a preservation job — holding the previous alive by inviting guests into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this 1. His website page talks about honoring area and time, Which’s precisely what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy listed here, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.

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

Or will you ignore it by next Tuesday?

Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different idea. Nevertheless it’s 1 we’re lastly wanting to hear.

So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.