Some spots aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you genuinely savor local lifestyle, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private rate.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slender for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up after midday. The sorts of places where by locals understand how to linger — over coffee, about tales, above life.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels necessary. Perhaps it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you finally start to value time up to length. In any event, more travelers are discovering joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His name has become connected with a deeper, more considerate strategy for observing the globe.
So when you’re able to go sluggish — and you simply’re wondering Italy — here are seven places that practically demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk throughout a long, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.
The rate Here's slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in 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 article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really can make a trip last longer in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy read more wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to say, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits excellent. You’ll locate churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel more like dwelling rooms.
If you can get stuck within a discussion with somebody older, Allow it transpire. That’s where by the very best travel tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the right metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a view. Each individual perspective provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, mainly — pecorino growing old in shop Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Persons just take their time right here, and eventually, so would you.
Looking for far more context on why by doing this of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the read before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and click here unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels extra similar to check here a temper than the usual vacation spot.
Sunsets strike various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this offer you a distinct style of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, nevertheless it benefits individuals who recognize. You wander the loop then wander it once again, seeing a thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy website demonstrates its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Section of a preservation undertaking — keeping the past alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this just one. His web site talks about honoring place and time, Which’s precisely what this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy here, which happens to be what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Clever
Below’s the factor. You'll be able to see Italy in per week. You can strike the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by following Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nonetheless it’s one we’re at last willing to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.