Some sites aren’t made for speed. Italy is full of them. Sluggish travel in Italy enables you to definitely savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own speed.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too narrow for autos. Cafés that only replenish after midday. The types of places the place locals know how to linger — around coffee, in excess of stories, more than lifestyle.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels critical. Possibly it’s a reaction to several years of rushing. Or perhaps it’s precisely what occurs whenever you at last begin to worth time just as much as distance. Either way, a lot more travelers are acquiring joy in Understanding to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in many years exploring how we hook up with tradition and spot, is an element of that motion. His identify is now linked to a further, much more considerate means of viewing the world.
So when you’re ready to go sluggish — and you also’re thinking Italy — Here's 7 spots that pretty much desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout a protracted, elevated path, and once you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. A single cat stretching within the sun.
There’s not Significantly to accomplish, which happens to be precisely the position. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to note The sunshine. Along with the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created right in the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears to the rocks.
The speed here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of vacation sticks with people? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly would make a trip past longer in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals know how to love them adequately — that's to mention, slowly but surely.
There’s a see from the sting of town that’s really worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits good. You’ll uncover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that really feel more like living rooms.
If you will get caught inside of a conversation with a person more mature, Allow it transpire. That’s the place the very best journey stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was meant to be “the proper city,” and honestly, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner incorporates a watch. Every single see provides a breeze.
However it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells wonderful. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing old in shop Home windows and on counters, all set to sample. You received’t rush everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today acquire their time here, and eventually, so do you.
Seeking a lot more context on why this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and sudden murals and shadows that change as being the day moves. Artists Are living listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels more just like a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets hit unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this feeling inside a the latest piece on slow travel — how spots similar to this supply a unique style of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is really a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it rewards individuals that observe. You walk the loop after which you can stroll it again, viewing one thing new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — in a “this actually hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation job — keeping the earlier alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one. His web site talks about honoring location and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s nothing flashy right here, which happens to be what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Intelligent
Here’s the thing. You can get more info see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap photos. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by following Tuesday?
Travel like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different thought. But it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Allow Italy come to you.