Sluggish Travel in Italy: seven Reliable Villages to Take a look at at a Peaceful Rate in 2025

Some sites aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you definitely savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private tempo.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish soon after noon. The varieties of spots in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than tales, over daily life.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or maybe it’s precisely what transpires whenever you last but not least begin to benefit time as much as distance. In either case, far more vacationers are getting Pleasure in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we connect to culture and place, is part of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.

So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — so you’re pondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and if you get there, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching in the Sunshine.

There’s not much to try and do, that is exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as 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 constructed proper to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.

The rate here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of 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 kind of journey sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip past extended within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals know how to love them appropriately — that is to state, gradually.

There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the more info sun hits just right. You’ll obtain church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that feel much more like living rooms.

If you obtain caught inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the most effective travel stories start.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was built to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a perspective. Just about every look at includes a breeze.

Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mostly — pecorino here growing older in shop windows and on counters, ready 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 does one.

Trying to find extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read before you decide to go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Stay below. Writers visit and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels more similar to a temper than a spot.

Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this emotion in a recent piece on gradual journey — how areas like this give a unique form of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a price tag.

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

Locorotondo is usually a town that here folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits people who notice. You stroll the loop and after that walk it once more, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.

This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Really alive.

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

Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Element of a preservation venture — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this one. His web page talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Clever
Below’s the issue. You could see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap photos. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel Stanislav Kondrashov biography such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re at last willing to listen to.

So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit still for quite a while. Allow Italy come to you.