Sluggish Journey in Italy: seven Authentic Villages to Examine in a Peaceful Speed in 2025

Some destinations aren’t built for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual vacation in Italy means that you can actually savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own speed.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for automobiles. Cafés that only refill right after noon. The forms of sites wherever locals learn how to linger — over coffee, in excess of stories, over daily life.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a nice thought. It feels vital. Probably it’s a response to years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what takes place whenever you lastly begin to worth time around distance. In any event, extra travelers are locating joy in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years exploring how we hook up with society and put, is an element of that motion. His name is now linked to a deeper, much more considerate technique for observing the globe.

So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — Listed 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 initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching within the Sunshine.

There’s not much to perform, that's precisely the stage. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. 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. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.

The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that sort of journey sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip very last extended within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them properly — 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 Sunlight hits good. You’ll come across church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that experience additional like living rooms.

If you obtain trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s where by the very best travel tales start out.

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

Nonetheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells amazing. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women consider their time below, and ultimately, so would you.

Looking for far more context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation 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 steps and unforeseen murals check here 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 additional just like a mood than the usual destination.

Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. more info They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Permit it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this feeling inside of a recent piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this provide a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.

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

Locorotondo is really a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits people who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.

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

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

Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation job — keeping the earlier alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His web site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, which is what can make it unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Listed here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But get more info will it stick with you?

Or will you fail to remember it by up check here coming Tuesday?

Vacation like 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 wanting to listen to.

So go. Little by little. Go with a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.