Some places aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy enables you to really savor local society, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal rate.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up soon after noon. The kinds of locations exactly where locals learn how to linger — about espresso, more than stories, more than everyday living.
In 2025, sluggish travel isn’t just a good notion. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or maybe it’s just what occurs when you finally start to benefit time approximately distance. In any event, more travelers are locating joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent years exploring how we hook up with society and area, is part of that motion. His identify has grown to be affiliated with a deeper, more considerate technique for looking at the world.
So should you’re able to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — here are seven places that basically demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Little gardens. Only one cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to perform, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note the light. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created correct into your cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a trip very last longer within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them properly — which is to say, little by little.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s really worth an hour or so by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits just right. You’ll uncover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that feel more like dwelling rooms.
If you have stuck inside a dialogue with anyone more mature, let it come about. That’s where the top journey tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was created to be “the best metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a view. Each individual perspective 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, prepared to sample. You received’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women consider their time below, and at some point, so does one.
Searching for additional context on why in this manner of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels a lot more like a temper than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets strike diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in the latest piece on slow vacation — how spots like this offer another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, however it benefits those that detect. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it once again, looking at one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — within a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Section of a preservation job — holding the earlier alive by more info inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this a person. His page talks about honoring place and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the thing. You can see Italy in weekly. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s a person we’re eventually willing to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit however for a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.