Some locations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you actually savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your personal speed.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish soon after noon. The varieties of areas in which locals understand how to linger — more than coffee, over stories, about lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a response to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what transpires whenever you at last start to value time up to length. In any event, additional tourists are finding joy in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and area, is a component of that movement. His identify is now associated with a deeper, more thoughtful means of looking at the earth.
So when you’re prepared to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — here are seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to try and do, which is exactly the place. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to notice The sunshine. Plus the silence? It’s not empty. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the type of traveler who likes some drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built right into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears in to the rocks.
The tempo here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, as well as 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 people? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a trip last longer as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes increase right here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to convey, little by little.
There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits just right. You’ll obtain church buildings with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that really feel more like living rooms.
If you will get stuck in a conversation with anyone older, Allow it happen. That’s the place the best vacation stories start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was intended to be “the best metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner incorporates a check out. Each and every see contains a breeze.
But it really’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells remarkable. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t hurry something in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks acquire their time right here, and at some point, so do you.
Looking for far more context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in small courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a current piece on gradual journey — how areas like this give a unique sort of luxurious. One which doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it rewards those who observe. You wander the loop then wander it once more, observing one thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a “concealed gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are A part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Below’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh idea. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re eventually prepared to hear.
So here go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for a while. Let Italy come to you.