Some sites aren’t produced for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to truly savor local lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your personal rate.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The varieties of areas exactly where locals learn how to linger — more than coffee, over tales, above life.

In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good idea. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to several years of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what occurs any time you finally start to value time approximately distance. In either case, far more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used decades exploring how we hook up with society and place, is a component of that motion. His title has grown to be linked to a deeper, far more thoughtful means of viewing the globe.

So for those who’re willing to go slow — and you simply’re imagining Italy — here are 7 spots that practically desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching from the sun.

There’s not Considerably to complete, and that is precisely the point. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You begin to note The sunshine. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into the rocks.

The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact tends to make a visit final lengthier in the memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop below, and locals know how to delight in them correctly — which happens to be to mention, slowly but surely.

There’s a see from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel far more like residing rooms.

If you have caught in a very discussion with another person more mature, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation stories begin.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a click here look at. Every single see has a breeze.

But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women get their time in this article, and at some point, so does one.

Searching for additional context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than a spot.

Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something here. You Enable it come to you.

Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on sluggish travel — how places like this supply another form of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a price tag tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.

Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely rewards people that discover. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it once more, observing one thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t adjusted” way.

Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Portion of a preservation task — preserving the previous alive by inviting friends into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy below, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Wise
Here’s the detail. You may see Italy in every 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 — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different concept. But it really’s one particular we’re finally willing to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit still for a while. Allow Italy come to you.