Some locations aren’t designed for speed. Italy is filled with them. Gradual travel in Italy enables you to certainly savor neighborhood society, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your own pace.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for autos. Cafés that only fill up after noon. The kinds of sites wherever locals know how to linger — around coffee, in excess of tales, above everyday living.

In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a good plan. It feels critical. Possibly it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens when you last but not least begin to price time as much as distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be related to a further, extra considerate strategy for viewing the entire world.

So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you’re considering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initially perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone houses. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.

There’s not A lot to do, that's precisely the point. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed proper to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.

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

Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a visit final longer in the memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes increase right here, and locals know how to love them properly — and that is to convey, slowly but surely.

There’s a view from the sting of town that’s really worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll uncover church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that feel more like living rooms.

If you obtain trapped in a dialogue with someone more mature, Permit it happen. That’s where the best travel tales start.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was designed to be “an ideal metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a watch. Each see contains a breeze.

However it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks get their time here, and sooner or later, so does one.

Seeking more context on why in this manner of traveling 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 program your working day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill city with stone ways and surprising murals and shadows that change since the working day moves. Artists Reside below. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in very small courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than a vacation spot.

Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Permit it come to you.

Forbes captured this sensation in a very current piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this offer a special type of luxurious. One that doesn’t come with a value tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.

Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, but it really benefits people that notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.

This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not here in a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t improved” way.

Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Element 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 precisely what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Smart
In this article’s the matter. You may see Italy in per week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. However it’s a single we’re finally able to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.