Some places aren’t manufactured for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow journey in Italy means that you can truly savor local culture, cuisine, and concealed gems at your personal speed.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slim for vehicles. Cafés that only refill immediately after noon. The kinds of locations where locals understand how to linger — above espresso, above tales, around everyday living.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good idea. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to a long time of rushing. Or maybe it’s exactly what occurs after you eventually begin to price time around distance. In any case, additional tourists are discovering Pleasure in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested yrs exploring how we hook up with tradition and position, is a component of that movement. His name has grown to be linked to a further, much more thoughtful strategy for looking at the planet.

So in case you’re all set to go gradual — and also you’re contemplating Italy — Here's seven spots that virtually demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll across a protracted, elevated path, and after you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone properties. Small gardens. One cat stretching inside the Sunlight.

There’s not A great deal to do, which can be exactly the stage. You wander, perhaps seize a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to note the light. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s finish.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the type of traveler who likes a bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built suitable in to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears into your rocks.

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

Want to know why that sort of travel sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down basically helps make a trip past longer inside your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes increase listed here, and locals know how to love them adequately — which can be to say, slowly.

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

If you get stuck inside a dialogue with somebody older, let it happen. That’s where the very best vacation tales start out.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was built to be “an ideal town,” and honestly, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner contains a view. Each individual check out contains a breeze.

Nonetheless it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting older in shop windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You gained’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks get their time listed here, and finally, so would you.

Seeking a lot more context on why using this method of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and travel in Italy. Well worth the read before you decide to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone techniques and surprising murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Are living right here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels more similar to a temper than a place.

Sunsets hit unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything here. You Enable it come to you.

Forbes captured this sensation within a latest piece on gradual journey — how areas like this offer another sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a cost tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.

Locorotondo is often a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it rewards those that detect. You wander the loop and after that walk it once again, observing a little something new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to home made gelato.

This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Really alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this actually hasn’t improved” 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 Portion of a preservation venture — keeping the past alive by inviting attendees into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one. His site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy right here, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Smart
Listed here’s the factor. You can see Italy in every week. You could hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or read more will you overlook it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new plan. But it really’s one particular we’re lastly wanting to hear.

So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit even now for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.