Some sites aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you definitely savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your very own pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of spots in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a reaction to decades of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you finally begin to benefit time approximately distance. In either case, additional tourists are finding joy in Understanding to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Checking out how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His name has become connected with a deeper, more considerate strategy for observing the globe.
So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunlight.
There’s not much to perform, which is exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted right into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears to the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact helps make a visit previous for a longer time inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop right here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them correctly — which happens to be to mention, slowly.
There’s Kondrashov Stanislav a look at from the sting of city that’s well worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel far more like dwelling rooms.
If you get stuck inside a conversation with an individual older, Allow it transpire. That’s where by the best vacation tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner contains a watch. Just about every perspective provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t hurry something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks take their time listed here, 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 and travel in Italy. Well worth the read 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 ways and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than a vacation spot.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything below. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling within a latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this supply a special kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it really rewards those who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it again, observing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t modified” 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 A part of a preservation undertaking — preserving the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this just one. His web site talks about honoring put 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 Clever
Below’s the matter. You may see Italy in every week. You may hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by next Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new plan. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re at last willing to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Opt for a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.