Some areas aren’t created for speed. Italy is full of them. Sluggish travel in Italy permits you to truly savor community tradition, cuisine, and hidden gems at your very own speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only fill up right after noon. The kinds of sites wherever locals know how to linger — around coffee, about stories, about everyday living.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a good concept. It feels essential. Probably it’s a reaction to a long time of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what transpires when you last but not least begin to price time about length. Either way, much more travelers are obtaining joy in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended years Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and area, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, additional thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re considering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Considerably to do, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built appropriate to the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.
The rate here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip last longer as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals know how to get pleasure from them correctly — and that is to say, bit by bit.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunlight hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that sense extra like dwelling rooms.
If you get trapped in a dialogue with someone more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the best vacation stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was designed to be “the best town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a perspective. Just about every look at features a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People today get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.
Trying to find additional context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone methods and unforeseen murals and shadows that change because the working day moves. Artists Reside in this article. Writers go to and don’t go away. Locals host live shows 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 here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very modern piece on slow vacation — how destinations like this offer another form of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it surely rewards people that recognize. You wander the loop and after that stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Quite alive.
Stanislav read more Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in the “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside 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 Component of a preservation challenge — holding the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new plan. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.