Some locations aren’t built for speed. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy allows you to really savor nearby society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your personal rate.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slender for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish following midday. The kinds of sites where by locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, more than stories, in excess of everyday living.
In 2025, sluggish travel isn’t just a good strategy. It feels important. Perhaps it’s a reaction to several years of hurrying. Or even it’s exactly what happens after you at last begin to benefit time just as much as length. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and area, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a deeper, extra considerate way of viewing the whole world.
So in the event you’re all set to go sluggish — so you’re pondering Italy — Here i will discuss 7 places that pretty much demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the point. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed appropriate to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of journey sticks with persons? This publish 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 state. Peaceful, under-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes grow listed here, and locals understand how to get pleasure from them thoroughly — that is to say, slowly and gradually.
There’s a look at from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel far more like residing rooms.
If you receive trapped within a discussion with anyone older, Permit it transpire. That’s exactly where the top travel stories get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was meant to be “the best metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner includes more info a view. Just about every see features a breeze.
But it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing old in store windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Individuals acquire their time below, and sooner or later, so do you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone ways and surprising murals and shadows that change as the working day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels more like a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this supply a different style of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it surely rewards individuals that detect. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it once again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade 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 — in a “this truly hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. 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 — keeping the earlier alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this a single. His website page talks about honoring put and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Smart
In this article’s the detail. You may see Italy in every week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh idea. But it really’s 1 we’re eventually able to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for a while. Allow Italy come to you.