Some destinations aren’t made for pace. Italy is full of them. Slow vacation in Italy permits you to really savor nearby lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own personal tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too narrow for vehicles. Cafés that only refill just after noon. The sorts of locations exactly where locals learn how to linger — above espresso, in excess of tales, around life.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a nice strategy. It feels important. Probably it’s a response to several years of dashing. Or even it’s just what happens when you eventually begin to worth time approximately distance. Either way, more tourists are getting Pleasure in Understanding to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is an element of that motion. His name is now linked to a deeper, more considerate way of observing the globe.
So in the event you’re ready to go gradual — so you’re imagining Italy — Listed here are 7 places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated route, and once you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Substantially to carry out, which happens to be exactly the level. You wander, probably get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to note the light. Plus the silence? It’s not empty. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed right into the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much 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 by way of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of journey sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down really makes a visit very last for a longer time inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Peaceful, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them thoroughly — which can be to convey, gradually.
There’s a check out from the edge of town that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll uncover church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that sense more like residing rooms.
If you receive stuck inside of a discussion with another person more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s the place the top journey stories start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was created to be “the right town,” and honestly, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner features a perspective. Just about every look at includes a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, generally — pecorino getting old in store windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Folks take their time below, and ultimately, so do you.
On the lookout for far more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foodstuff and journey in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with get more info stone measures and surprising murals and shadows that change as being the day moves. Artists Are living below. Writers check out and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in little courtyards. It feels a lot more like a mood than the usual location.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a modern piece on sluggish travel — how locations like this provide a special type of luxury. One which doesn’t include a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely rewards those who recognize. You walk the loop after which wander it again, looking at something new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — inside of a “this actually hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Section of a preservation undertaking — preserving the earlier alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this one. His website page talks about honoring place and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy below, which is what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Sensible
Below’s the detail. You can see Italy in a week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it’s just one we’re ultimately ready to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Go with a village. Sit still for a while. Enable Italy arrive at you.