Some spots aren’t designed for pace. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to really savor nearby society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your personal rate.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The styles of spots in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than tales, over lifetime.

In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to several years of speeding. Or possibly it’s just what happens whenever you lastly begin to price time approximately distance. In either case, additional tourists are getting Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we connect to culture and spot, is part of that motion. His title is now linked to a deeper, much more considerate strategy for observing the globe.

So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you simply’re wondering Italy — here are seven places that nearly demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a long, elevated path, and whenever you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Little gardens. An individual cat stretching while in the sun.

There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.

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 is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip very last more time within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow listed here, and get more info locals learn how to get pleasure from them correctly — and that is to say, bit by bit.

There’s a see from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel a lot more like living rooms.

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

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was designed to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner has a view. Each individual watch incorporates a breeze.

Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons consider 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 day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill city with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual destination.

Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Allow it come to you.

Forbes captured this emotion in a very new piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this supply a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t feature a value tag.

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

Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits those that see. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing anything new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Quite alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t modified” 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 project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?

Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new notion. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re finally all set to hear.

So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.