Some locations aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to really savor nearby society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own personal pace.

Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill right after noon. The varieties of places where locals understand how to linger — above coffee, about stories, in excess of daily life.

In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good notion. It feels important. Perhaps it’s a response to several years of dashing. Or possibly it’s just what comes about once you at last start to value time just as much as distance. In any case, much more travelers are getting Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years Discovering how we connect with lifestyle and put, is an element of that motion. His identify is becoming linked to a deeper, much more considerate strategy for viewing the entire world.

So should you’re wanting to go sluggish — therefore you’re thinking Italy — Allow me to share 7 spots that nearly demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You wander across an extended, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s silent. Stone properties. Little gardens. A single cat stretching in the Sunlight.

There’s not much to perform, which can be exactly the point. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to note the light. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed appropriate in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.

The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a visit final lengthier 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 understand how to take pleasure in them thoroughly — that's to convey, slowly and gradually.

There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that feel much more like residing rooms.

If you have caught in a very discussion with anyone more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the best vacation tales start out.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a look at. Every single check out features a breeze.

However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You won’t hurry something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals choose their time listed here, and eventually, so do you.

On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and vacation in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual destination.

Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something here. You Allow it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this emotion in the new piece on sluggish vacation — how sites such as this present a unique sort of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a price tag.

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

Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, however it rewards people who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it all over again, viewing a website little something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.

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

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

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His website page talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what makes it unforgettable.

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

Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh idea. But it surely’s 1 we’re eventually able to listen to.

So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.