Some locations aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy means that you can certainly savor area lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slender for autos. Cafés that only fill up right after midday. The forms of locations in which locals know how to linger — about coffee, about tales, above life.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels crucial. Probably it’s a reaction to decades of speeding. Or even it’s precisely what transpires any time you finally begin to worth time approximately length. Either way, more vacationers are finding joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended years exploring how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His identify happens to be associated with a further, extra considerate strategy for viewing the globe.
So in case you’re wanting to go sluggish — and also you’re considering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically 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 a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of 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 vacation sticks with persons? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down actually will make a trip last for a longer period as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunlight hits good. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel a lot more like residing rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s where the most effective travel tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a perspective. Just about every look at incorporates a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.
In search of a lot more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone ways and unexpected murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Stay below. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels a lot more similar to a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything listed here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience in a new piece on slow journey — how destinations like this provide a distinct kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round here streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nonetheless it rewards individuals who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it yet again, seeing anything new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this really hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits while 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 part of a preservation task — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this 1. His page talks about honoring location and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Here’s the thing. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by following 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 able to listen to.
So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit still for a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.