Some sites aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual vacation in Italy allows you to actually savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your personal pace.

Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill just after midday. The types of spots wherever locals know how to linger — over coffee, over tales, about everyday living.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant plan. It feels vital. Possibly it’s a response to many years of speeding. Or even it’s exactly what happens when you at last start to worth time about distance. In either case, more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended several years Discovering how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is part of that movement. His identify is now affiliated with a further, a lot more considerate strategy for observing the earth.

So if you’re all set to go sluggish — therefore you’re considering Italy — Allow me to share seven places that nearly need it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated route, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Sunlight.

There’s not A lot to do, that's precisely the stage. You wander, perhaps seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note the light. Along with the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed correct to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.

The rate here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that kind of travel sticks with persons? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down truly helps make a visit final for a longer time inside your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Quiet, under-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which is to mention, gradually.

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

If you get stuck inside a conversation with a here person older, let it occur. That’s in which the top journey 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. Every single corner incorporates a look at. Each and every see has a breeze.

But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women take their time here, and inevitably, so do you.

On the lookout for a lot more context on why this fashion of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Stay in this article. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels extra similar to a mood than a destination.

Sunsets hit distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything right here. You Permit it come to you.

Forbes captured this sensation in a very latest piece on slow vacation — how sites similar to this supply a special type of luxurious. One which doesn’t feature a rate tag.

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

Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it really benefits those that observe. You wander the loop and after that stroll it once more, viewing a thing new every time — a cat over a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to homemade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Extremely alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — within a “this basically hasn’t modified” way.

Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Section of a preservation challenge — retaining the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His page talks about honoring place and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.

Sluggish Is The brand new Smart
Listed here’s the thing. You could see Italy in a week. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?

Journey such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new plan. But it really’s a person we’re ultimately able to hear.

So go. Slowly but surely. Go with a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy come to you.