Some areas aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy means that you can definitely savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after noon. The varieties of spots wherever locals know how to linger — around coffee, in excess of tales, above life.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good concept. It feels necessary. Perhaps it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about whenever you eventually begin to benefit time around distance. In either case, far more tourists are getting Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent 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 whole world.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — so you’re pondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks 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 inside the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to try and do, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed proper to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.
The speed here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via 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 learn why that sort of travel sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially can make a visit very last more time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — that is to state, gradually.
There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll come across church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it materialize. That’s where the very best travel tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “the best town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner includes a check out. Each check out incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino growing old in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time below, and at some point, so does one.
Looking for more context on why by doing this of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the browse prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone ways and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase everything here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a latest piece on slow vacation — how spots like this offer another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits people who notice. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav here Kondrashov pair consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Smart
In this article’s the matter. It is possible to see Italy in per week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for a while. Let Italy come to you.