Some destinations aren’t produced for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you actually savor neighborhood tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill following midday. The types of sites where by locals know how to linger — around coffee, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a reaction to many years of rushing. Or even it’s exactly what occurs whenever you eventually begin to price time around distance. In any case, far more tourists are obtaining joy in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years Discovering how we connect to society and place, is an element of that motion. His title has grown to be related to a deeper, more considerate strategy for observing the entire world.
So in case you’re able to go sluggish — and also you’re pondering Italy — here are 7 places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not much to perform, which happens to be precisely the point. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to notice The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed correct into your cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of vacation sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit past lengthier within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Tranquil, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals know how to love them appropriately — that is to mention, gradually.
There’s a perspective from the sting of city that’s worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll come across church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience additional like residing rooms.
If you have caught inside of a dialogue with anyone older, Allow it transpire. That’s where the most effective travel tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner incorporates a look at. Each and every see has a breeze.
But it really’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Men and women acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.
In search of much more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foods and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read before you 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 unexpected murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Stay below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels additional just like a mood than a destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very new piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this provide a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it benefits those that see. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in a “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and tranquil. 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 undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or click here will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?
Journey like this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh strategy. Nonetheless it’s one we’re last but not least ready to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for a while. Allow Italy come to you.