Some areas aren’t created for speed. Italy is full of them. Sluggish travel in Italy allows you to really savor local tradition, cuisine, and hidden gems at your very own pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too narrow for autos. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The sorts of places wherever locals learn how to linger — more than coffee, about stories, over life.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good notion. It feels vital. Probably it’s a reaction to several years of rushing. Or perhaps it’s precisely what transpires if you eventually start to price time up to length. Either way, far more tourists are finding joy in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used a long time Discovering how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His title has become related to a further, a lot more thoughtful way of observing the earth.
So for those who’re ready to go sluggish — and you also’re contemplating Italy — Here's seven spots that nearly need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and once you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching within the Sunlight.
There’s not Substantially to perform, and that is exactly the level. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to notice The sunshine. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the kind of traveler who likes a bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created right to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The speed Here's gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of travel sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down truly makes a trip last for a longer period in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes expand listed here, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them effectively — which can be to say, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of read more vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the sun hits excellent. You’ll uncover church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways that make you stop, and piazzas that experience a lot more like residing rooms.
If you will get stuck inside a dialogue with anyone older, Enable it occur. That’s where by the ideal vacation stories start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the right city,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a see. Every single perspective includes a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells incredible. Cheese, generally — pecorino getting old in store Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You received’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks acquire their time in this article, and at some point, so would you.
Trying to find more context on why in this manner of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food items and vacation in Italy. Well worth the browse prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone ways and unexpected murals and shadows that shift as being the day moves. Artists Dwell here. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels additional just like a temper than a location.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion inside of a the latest piece check here on sluggish travel — how sites such as this supply another style of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it rewards those who detect. You stroll the loop after which walk it again, seeing one thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this basically hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are part of a preservation job — retaining the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this a single. His page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy here, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is here The brand new Smart
Below’s the issue. You could see Italy in each week. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you check here ignore it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a completely new plan. However it’s a single we’re lastly able to hear.
So go. Slowly. Opt for a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.