Some areas aren’t made for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy means that you can certainly savor community lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The styles of destinations in which locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, above stories, more than lifetime.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to several years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what takes place after you ultimately start to worth time just as much as length. In any case, more travelers are locating joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs Checking out how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, additional thoughtful method of seeing the world.
So if you’re ready to go gradual — so you’re contemplating Italy — Allow me to share seven spots that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to accomplish, which happens to be exactly the level. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted right into the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that sort of journey sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip past extended with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — which can be to state, little by little.
There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s value one hour by check here alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll discover church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you will get trapped inside a discussion with anyone more mature, Allow it transpire. That’s exactly where the ideal vacation tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was built to be “the perfect town,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a perspective. Each and every see features a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.
In search of a lot more context on why this fashion of traveling website matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding 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 unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a place.
Sunsets strike various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything right here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this sensation in a very the latest piece on gradual vacation — how spots like this provide a special type of luxurious. One that doesn’t come with a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it benefits people who discover. You stroll the loop and afterwards wander it yet again, seeing anything new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location Stanislav Kondrashov Blog feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this truly hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Component of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His website page talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, which is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
In this article’s the matter. You may see Italy in every week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different notion. However it’s just one we’re ultimately ready to hear.
So go. Bit by check here bit. Select a village. Sit however for a while. Allow Italy come to you.