Some sites aren’t made for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you actually savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your personal rate.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The kinds of destinations the place locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, over lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of speeding. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you last but not least begin to price time as much as length. Either way, much more travelers are obtaining joy in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify has grown to be affiliated with a further, far more thoughtful way of looking at the earth.
So when you’re wanting to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll throughout a protracted, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s silent. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the sun.
There’s not much to try and do, that's precisely the position. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed right to the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in the rocks.
The speed Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that kind of vacation sticks with people today? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down actually makes a visit very last more time as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Quiet, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals understand how to get pleasure from them effectively — that is to convey, bit by bit.
There’s a look at from the sting of town that’s worthy of an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunlight hits good. You’ll discover churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that really feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you will get caught in a conversation with an individual more mature, Permit it happen. That’s the place the most beneficial vacation tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner provides a watch. Every view features a breeze.
However it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing older in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People choose their time in this article, and at some point, so does one.
On the lookout for extra context on why by doing this of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish meals and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read through 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 city with stone actions and unanticipated murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels additional similar to a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a current piece on gradual journey — how areas like this give a unique sort of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, but it rewards those who detect. You wander the loop then wander it once more, observing some thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not within a “concealed gem” way — in a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Component of a preservation venture — trying to keep the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this one particular. His web site talks about honoring place and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy below, and that is here what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Smart
Here’s the thing. You are able to see Italy in per week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by future Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new idea. But it surely’s one particular we’re ultimately ready to hear.
So go. Slowly. Go with a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.