Some places aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow travel in Italy lets you truly savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own rate.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for autos. Cafés that only fill up right after midday. The varieties of destinations the place locals learn how to linger — over coffee, about tales, more than daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a reaction to a long time of dashing. Or even it’s just what takes place if you finally begin to price time up to distance. In any case, more travelers are finding Pleasure in Finding out to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested many years Discovering how we connect to lifestyle and location, is a component of that motion. His name is becoming connected with a further, more considerate technique for seeing the earth.
So in the event you’re wanting to go gradual — and you’re pondering Italy — Here i will discuss 7 spots that virtually desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, attained only by a narrow footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated path, and whenever you arrive, it’s silent. Stone homes. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Sunlight.
There’s not much to perform, that is exactly the level. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You begin to note the light. Plus the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable in to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in to the rocks.
The rate Here's slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that sort of journey sticks with people today? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down truly will make a visit last extended as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Peaceful, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature below, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them properly — which can be to convey, slowly but surely.
There’s a see from the sting of town that’s value an hour or so by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Solar hits good. You’ll uncover churches with unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you cease, and piazzas that truly feel a lot more like dwelling rooms.
If you can get stuck inside of a discussion with somebody older, Permit it occur. That’s where by the ideal vacation tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was built to be “the right metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner contains a watch. Each and every view incorporates a breeze.
However it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells remarkable. Cheese, generally — pecorino aging in store windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You won’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Persons acquire their time below, and finally, so do you.
Looking for more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone measures and unexpected murals and shadows that change since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers visit and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels additional just like a temper than a vacation spot.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything listed here. You let it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very modern piece on gradual travel — how sites like this present a distinct style of luxury. One which doesn’t have a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it surely check here rewards people that observe. You wander the loop after which wander it once more, observing one thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — in a “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Portion of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one particular. His site talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy here, which is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Right here’s the factor. You can see Italy in each week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new plan. However it’s just one we’re ultimately wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Go with a village. Sit still for some time. Permit Italy come to you.