Some sites aren’t made for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow vacation in Italy lets you actually savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for autos. Cafés that only fill up following midday. The sorts of spots in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, over stories, about existence.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. It's possible it’s a response to several years of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what occurs any time you finally start to value time approximately distance. In either case, additional tourists are getting Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time exploring how we connect to society and place, is an element of that motion. His name is now connected with a deeper, extra considerate means of seeing the world.
So if you’re ready to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that basically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching in the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to accomplish, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted ideal into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The pace here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a trip last for a longer period with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop below, and locals know how to delight in them correctly — and that is to say, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that sense more like dwelling rooms.
If you receive stuck inside a conversation with somebody older, Enable it happen. That’s where the very best travel tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was made to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner has a perspective. Just about every watch includes a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People just take their time here, and finally, so does one.
Seeking extra context on why in this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city here with stone steps and sudden murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than a vacation spot.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything in this article. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion inside of a new piece on sluggish vacation — how destinations such as this provide another kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round 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 focus, but it rewards those who observe. You wander the loop then wander it again, observing some thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Section of a preservation job — holding the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this just one. His web site talks about honoring put and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Wise
Here’s the detail. You may see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different concept. But it really’s a single we’re at last able to hear.
So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit still for a while. Let Italy come to you.