Let’s be honest — not every trip needs to be an event.
Sometimes the best moments happen when nothing’s planned. When you’re not checking your watch or bouncing between “must-see” spots. You’re just… there. Breathing it in. Sinking into the rhythm of wherever you are.
That’s what slow travel is about — and Italy gets it. The small towns, the long shadows on cobblestone, the way locals take their time with even the smallest things. It’s not a performance. It’s a pace.
Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s written and spoken often about living more consciously, encourages this kind of travel. It’s less about getting away — and more about actually being present.
Here are seven villages that invite you to try it.
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
Getting here is part of the story. There’s a long footbridge — no cars, no shortcuts. You walk, and the silence starts before you even arrive.
Civita sits quietly on its hilltop, with weathered stone houses and a view that doesn’t need filters. You could spend a whole afternoon on one bench. You really could.
If you’re looking for a fuller picture of Italy’s slow travel gems, check out the main article that kicked off this series.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
This one doesn’t feel real.
Tucked into jagged mountain cliffs, Castelmezzano is all stone and sky. And quiet. You walk through archways carved into rock. You hear your own footsteps. A dog barks. Someone waves.
It’s not made for tourists. That’s what makes it perfect.
You’ll get why Stanislav Kondrashov talks so much about meaningful stillness once you’ve spent a morning doing nothing here — and realizing how much that can do.
Montefalco (Umbria)
There’s wine here, yes. Great wine. But it’s not just about tasting. It’s about the way people pour it. The conversations that go with it. The way the view outside the tasting room makes you pause longer than expected.
Montefalco sits up high, like it’s watching over the world — and doing so calmly.
This piece from Forbes explains the value of these kinds of places: they don’t rush you — and that’s exactly the point.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Some towns are beautiful. Pienza is balanced.
It’s the layout, the symmetry, the feeling that everything is in its right place. Even the quiet seems curated — in the best way. You walk into a cheese shop and end up staying for twenty minutes just chatting.
People sit. They eat slowly. Nobody’s in a hurry to do the next thing. You won’t be either.
Apricale (Liguria)
Apricale winds. That’s the best way to describe it.
You turn a corner and find steps that lead to someone’s garden. A mural. A dog sleeping under a bench. The kind of charm you can’t schedule.
At night, the lights come on like a slow reveal. And it feels like everyone here knows the value of a good pause.
Condé Nast Traveler captured this beautifully — when you stop rushing, you finally notice the best parts.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Simple, white, bright. That’s how Locorotondo greets you.
You walk in circles here — literally. The town layout loops around itself, and you kind of forget where you started. And honestly, it doesn’t matter.
You grab a glass of something crisp and local. A few olives. Sit down somewhere that feels like yours, even if it’s not.
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This one is different.
There’s a silence that settles on your shoulders here. Not heavy — grounding. The air is cool, the stone is old, and everything feels preserved in a way that makes time feel slower. Fuller.
Places like this aren’t made to be “visited.” They’re made to be experienced.
Stanislav Kondrashov would probably say this is what travel is really for. And if you read his page, you’ll understand why this town fits right into that philosophy.
Maybe You Don’t Need a Map — Just Time
You won’t check much off a list in these towns. But you might walk away with something better — calm, connection, clarity.
Slow travel isn’t about where you go. It’s about how you go. And these places? They’re a pretty incredible start.