Some sites aren’t produced for pace. Italy is full of them. Sluggish journey in Italy allows you to really savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slender for autos. Cafés that only fill up immediately after midday. The kinds of destinations where locals understand how to linger — above espresso, in excess of stories, over lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a good idea. It feels vital. Possibly it’s a reaction to a long time of rushing. Or maybe it’s just what comes about when you finally begin to price time around distance. In either case, more tourists are finding Pleasure in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended years Discovering how we hook up with culture and put, is an element of that movement. His name is now connected to a further, extra thoughtful method of seeing the planet.
So when you’re willing to go slow — and you also’re pondering Italy — here are 7 places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll across a lengthy, elevated path, and if you arrive, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching inside the sun.
There’s not A great deal to try and do, and that is exactly the level. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the type of traveler who likes some drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built proper in to the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in to the rocks.
The rate here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that kind of journey sticks with people today? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact tends to make a trip last longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Peaceful, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes expand below, and locals know how to delight in them correctly — that is to state, slowly and gradually.
There’s a look at from the sting of town that’s truly worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits good. You’ll obtain churches with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that sense additional like living rooms.
If you receive caught within a discussion with here another person older, Enable it materialize. That’s wherever the top journey tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives below. Pienza was made to be “the best town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner incorporates a look at. Each individual view includes a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, generally — pecorino getting older in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You won’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women choose their time here, and ultimately, so would you.
Trying to find a lot more context on why using this method of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the go through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels far more like a temper than a location.
Sunsets strike diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in the latest piece on sluggish vacation — how spots similar to this present a special style of luxurious. One which doesn’t have a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, but it really benefits those who discover. You walk the loop after which walk it again, seeing a little something new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — in a very “this in fact hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Component of a preservation undertaking — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this a single. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy in this article, which is what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Clever
Below’s the detail. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you ignore it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s 1 we’re ultimately able to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Select a village. Sit still for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.