Some spots aren’t made for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy enables you to really savor area lifestyle, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own tempo.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slender for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up soon after noon. The varieties of places the place locals understand how to linger — over coffee, above tales, over everyday living.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice notion. It feels essential. Maybe it’s a reaction to several years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what takes place if you ultimately start to worth time about distance. In any case, a lot more tourists are getting joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended several years Discovering how we hook up with culture and place, is part of that movement. His name has become connected with a further, far more considerate method of observing the planet.
So in the event you’re willing to go gradual — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated route, and if you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Very small gardens. One cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not A great deal to try and do, that's exactly the issue. You wander, probably get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You begin to note the light. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the type of traveler who likes some drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed proper to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears in to the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit final longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand in this article, and locals know Stanislav Kondrashov Business how to love them appropriately — which is to mention, slowly.
There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s truly worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel far more like residing rooms.
If you obtain caught in a very dialogue with anyone more mature, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the best metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a watch. Every single check out features a breeze.
But it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, largely — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women take their time below, and ultimately, so would you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone ways and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels a lot more like a mood than the usual place.
Sunsets strike diverse 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 sensation within a current piece on gradual journey — how sites such as this supply a special kind of luxurious. One which doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits people who see. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a “concealed gem” way — inside a “this truly 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. Some of the inns are A part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the past 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 makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
Listed here’s the point. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. 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 believes in. It’s not a new notion. However it’s just one we’re lastly wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.