Some areas aren’t manufactured for pace. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The forms of locations where locals understand how to linger — over coffee, around stories, about lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice plan. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of speeding. Or perhaps it’s exactly what occurs any time you lastly start to worth time up to length. In any event, extra travelers are locating joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs Checking out how we connect to society and place, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a further, a lot more thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.
So for those who’re ready to go sluggish — so you’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share 7 spots that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk throughout a long, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Significantly to carry out, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed right into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into the rocks.
The speed here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down truly can make a trip previous for a longer time with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes increase right here, and locals know how to love them thoroughly — which can be to mention, bit by bit.
There’s a view from the sting of town that’s truly worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits good. You’ll uncover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you prevent, and piazzas that truly feel more like residing rooms.
If you have stuck inside of a conversation with someone more mature, Allow it occur. That’s in which the very best journey tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was meant to be “the perfect metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner includes a look at. Each and every watch incorporates a breeze.
However it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells amazing. Cheese, largely — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You gained’t rush anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks choose their time right here, and inevitably, so would you.
Looking for more context on why in this manner of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foodstuff and travel in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone steps and unpredicted murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Dwell right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels far more just like a temper 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 listed here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very recent piece on sluggish travel — how locations similar to this give a unique sort of luxurious. One which doesn’t have a selling price 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 consideration, nevertheless it benefits individuals who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is get more info when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are A part of a preservation job — preserving the earlier alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this one. His page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Clever
Below’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in per week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by next Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nevertheless it’s one we’re eventually prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Select a village. Sit however for a while. Allow Italy come to you.