Some destinations aren’t created for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you definitely savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The kinds of destinations wherever locals know how to linger — about coffee, about tales, above lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice notion. It feels essential. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of speeding. Or perhaps it’s exactly what takes place after you finally start to price time about length. In any event, extra tourists are discovering joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs Checking out how we connect with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His name has become connected with a deeper, more considerate strategy for observing the planet.
So if you’re willing to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to do, which can be precisely the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted correct in to the cliffs. Practically 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 steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of vacation sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact helps make a visit very last longer with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Peaceful, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes increase in this article, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them thoroughly — which is to say, slowly and gradually.
There’s a check out from the edge of town that’s worthy of an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll obtain churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you stop, and piazzas that come to feel additional like living rooms.
If you can get trapped inside of a dialogue with someone older, Allow it happen. That’s exactly where the very best journey tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was made to be “the perfect town,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner provides a perspective. Every check out provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells awesome. here Cheese, generally — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women get their time in this article, and inevitably, so do you.
On the lookout for additional context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the read through before you 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 unforeseen murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Are living right here. Writers stop by and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in tiny courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than the usual destination.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything below. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in the modern piece on slow vacation — how sites such as this give a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t website feature a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is usually 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 after that stroll it again, observing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a read more hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in a here very “concealed gem” way — in a “this truly 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. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing flashy in this article, which is what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Smart
In this article’s the matter. You may see Italy in every week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by subsequent Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different notion. However it’s a person we’re finally all set to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.