Some destinations aren’t created for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy enables you to certainly savor community lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill immediately after noon. The kinds of destinations exactly where locals learn how to linger — in excess of coffee, about tales, more than lifetime.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a good notion. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a response to years of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s exactly what comes about when you lastly begin to benefit time up to distance. In any event, much more travelers are finding joy in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs Checking out how we hook up with culture and position, is an element of that movement. His name has grown to be connected to a deeper, more thoughtful technique for looking at the planet.
So when you’re prepared to go sluggish — so you’re wondering Italy — Allow me to share 7 spots that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your first impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You walk throughout a protracted, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Small gardens. Just one cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Considerably to do, which happens to be precisely the position. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes some drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built right into the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of vacation sticks with folks? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down basically will make a visit last extended as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes grow here, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them adequately — that is to state, gradually.
There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s value one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunlight hits good. You’ll discover church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that experience much more like dwelling rooms.
If you obtain caught inside a conversation with another person more mature, Permit it occur. That’s exactly where the best vacation tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was intended to be “the best city,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner incorporates a watch. Each perspective has a breeze.
But it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, mostly — pecorino aging in store windows and on counters, ready to sample. You received’t rush anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks choose their time below, and ultimately, so do you.
On the lookout for additional context on why using this method of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Well worth the study prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and unanticipated murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Stay here. Writers take a look at and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in small courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything here. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience in the latest piece on sluggish travel — how spots similar to this offer another kind of luxurious. One which doesn’t feature a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is usually a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, nevertheless it benefits individuals that discover. You stroll the loop and after that walk it yet again, observing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” more info way — inside of a “this basically hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Component of a preservation challenge — holding the past alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one. His web page talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy right here, which is what makes it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Clever
Right here’s the matter. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by following Tuesday?
Travel similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different plan. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re lastly all set to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Pick a village. Sit still for some time. Enable Italy come to you.