Some spots aren’t created for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow travel in Italy allows you to certainly savor regional society, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own rate.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The types of places where by locals understand how to linger — around coffee, above tales, over life.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good idea. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a reaction to a long time of rushing. Or even it’s just what comes about if you lastly start to price time as much as distance. In either case, extra tourists are acquiring joy in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify has become connected with a deeper, much more thoughtful strategy for viewing the world.
So for those who’re wanting to go sluggish — and also you’re considering Italy — Here's seven spots that almost demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s silent. Stone houses. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching from the Sunshine.
There’s not Substantially to complete, which is exactly the point. You wander, perhaps 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 little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.
The speed here is sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with men and women? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really will make a trip last longer as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them correctly — which happens to be to mention, little by little.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Solar 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 a person older, let it take place. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives below. Pienza was built to be “the best city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner provides a look at. Every single check out includes a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons get their time in this here article, and sooner or later, so does one.
Trying to find extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and travel in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone methods and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels additional similar to a mood than a vacation spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in click here the modern piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this supply a special kind of luxurious. One which doesn’t feature a rate get more info tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it once again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — inside a “this in fact 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 project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His page talks about honoring place and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s nothing flashy in this article, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Good
Right here’s the thing. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But check here will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. But it’s just one we’re lastly all set to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.