Some areas aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy lets you actually savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish just after midday. The varieties of areas in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, more than everyday living.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you finally start to worth time up to length. In any event, extra tourists are discovering Pleasure in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years Discovering how we connect to tradition and spot, is an element of that motion. His title has grown to be connected with a further, a lot more thoughtful strategy for seeing the world.

So in the event you’re all set to go slow — so you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 places that pretty much need it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You wander throughout a lengthy, elevated route, and any time you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching during the Solar.

There’s not Substantially to accomplish, which is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed suitable in the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears into the rocks.

The rate here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to master why that sort of travel sticks with people? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a trip past longer in the memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Peaceful, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes mature in this article, and locals learn how to appreciate them correctly — that's to say, slowly.

There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll come across churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel far more like dwelling rooms.

If you will get caught in a conversation with someone older, let it happen. That’s in which the most effective journey tales commence.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was designed to be “an ideal town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner provides a see. Every look at contains a breeze.

Nonetheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells amazing. Cheese, largely — pecorino aging in store windows and on counters, able to sample. You won’t hurry anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals just take their time right here, and at some point, so would you.

In search of extra context on why in this way of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foods and journey in Italy. Well worth the read before you go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone steps and unpredicted murals and shadows that shift given that the working day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual desired destination.

Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything in this article. You Allow it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this emotion in the new piece on slow travel — how destinations click here similar to this supply a unique form of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a selling price tag.

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

Locorotondo is a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, but it benefits individuals that notice. You stroll the loop and afterwards walk it all over again, observing a thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to home made gelato.

This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Pretty alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t adjusted” way.

Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are part of a preservation project — maintaining the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His site talks about honoring area and time, Which’s just what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy in this article, which can be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Good
Right here’s the factor. You can see Italy in per week. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different notion. Nonetheless it’s one particular we’re ultimately ready to hear.

So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit continue to for a while. Let Italy come to you.