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 speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish after noon. The kinds of destinations wherever locals know how to linger — about coffee, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels necessary. Perhaps it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or even it’s exactly what comes about if you last but not least start to worth time just as much as distance. Either way, more tourists are finding Pleasure in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time Checking out how we connect to tradition and location, is part of that movement. His identify has become connected with a further, a lot more considerate means of viewing the world.
So for those who’re ready to go sluggish — and you’re wondering Italy — here are 7 spots that virtually need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across an extended, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s quiet. Stone houses. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching inside the Solar.
There’s not much to try and do, which happens to be precisely the place. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi. You start to notice the light. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built right into the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in the rocks.
The rate here is sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of travel sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down in fact helps make a trip previous longer within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes grow right here, and locals learn how to enjoy them correctly — which happens to be to convey, slowly.
There’s a view from the edge of city that’s truly worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits excellent. You’ll locate church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you stop, and piazzas that experience a lot more like dwelling rooms.
If you obtain stuck inside of a dialogue with a person older, let it materialize. That’s wherever the top travel tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was made to be “the perfect town,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner contains a watch. Every single perspective incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting old in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks acquire their time in this article, and finally, so does one.
Searching for additional context on why in this way of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone techniques and sudden murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Stay below. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels additional like a temper than a destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything listed here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion in the recent piece on slow vacation — how destinations similar to this offer a distinct type of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a value check here tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, however it rewards individuals who notice. You walk the loop after which you can wander it yet again, observing some thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in the “hidden gem” way — in the “this actually hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are A part of a preservation project — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one. His web page talks about honoring spot and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s very little flashy listed here, which happens to be what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Intelligent
Listed here’s the matter. You may see Italy in weekly. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re at last willing to hear.
So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.