Some places aren’t created for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish journey in Italy lets you definitely savor local culture, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own private rate.

Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for cars and trucks. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The kinds of destinations wherever locals understand how to linger — about coffee, above stories, more than lifestyle.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a nice plan. It feels necessary. Maybe it’s a reaction to years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s precisely what comes about when you eventually start to benefit time just as much as length. In either case, a lot more tourists are locating Pleasure in Understanding to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs exploring how we connect to culture and spot, is an element of that motion. His identify happens to be related to a further, extra considerate strategy for viewing the entire world.

So in case you’re willing to go slow — and also you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that basically desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initially impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated route, and if you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the sun.

There’s not Considerably to complete, that's precisely the point. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.

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

Want to discover why that sort of vacation sticks with people today? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a visit last longer as part of your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Silent, less than-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to convey, slowly and gradually.

There’s a see from the edge of town that’s truly 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 unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that really feel a lot more like dwelling rooms.

If you receive stuck within a discussion with an individual older, Allow it take place. That’s the place the most beneficial vacation tales start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was designed to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Each view provides a breeze.

But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women consider their time below, and at some point, so would you.

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 read through prior to deciding to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual place.

Sunsets strike diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in the modern piece on sluggish travel — how areas like this offer a different form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.

Locorotondo is a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nevertheless it benefits people who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it all over again, seeing a thing new each time — a cat on the read more windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.

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

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

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

Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this one. His page talks about honoring place and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new idea. But it surely’s a single we’re at last able to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit still for a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.