Some locations aren’t made for pace. Italy is full of them. Sluggish journey in Italy lets you genuinely savor neighborhood society, cuisine, and hidden gems at your very own tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for automobiles. Cafés that only refill following noon. The kinds of areas where by locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, more than stories, more than daily life.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a good plan. It feels crucial. Probably it’s a reaction to a long time of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s precisely what comes about once you at last start to benefit time as much as length. In either case, far more travelers are obtaining joy in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years Checking out how we hook up with tradition and put, is a component of that motion. His identify is becoming related to a further, far more considerate means of seeing the planet.
So in case you’re able to go slow — and you’re imagining Italy — Listed here are seven places that virtually need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You walk throughout an extended, elevated route, and any time you get there, it’s quiet. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not much to do, which happens to be exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed correct in to the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into the rocks.
The tempo Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really would make a visit previous for a longer time as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop listed here, and locals understand how to delight in them properly — which is to convey, slowly.
There’s a perspective from the edge of city that’s well worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the sun hits excellent. You’ll find church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that truly feel additional like residing rooms.
If you can get stuck inside a dialogue with anyone more mature, Enable it come about. That’s where the very best journey stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was built to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner includes a view. Each perspective contains a breeze.
But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing old in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Men and women choose their time here, and inevitably, so does one.
Searching for much more context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and travel in Italy. Well worth the read before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unexpected murals and shadows that change because the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers visit and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels extra just like a temper than a place.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation in the current piece on sluggish vacation — how destinations like this give a distinct style of luxurious. One which doesn’t come with a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it surely rewards people who see. You wander the loop and then wander it once again, viewing something new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not inside of a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this really hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are part of a preservation undertaking — preserving the past alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s what precisely this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, and that is what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Clever
Here’s the point. You'll be able to see Italy in per week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about get more info it by subsequent Tuesday?
Travel such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new strategy. However it’s one particular we’re finally willing to listen to.
So go. Bit by bit. Choose a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Permit Italy come to you.