Some destinations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy enables you to definitely savor regional culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your very own rate.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for autos. Cafés that only refill right after noon. The sorts of areas where by locals understand how to linger — in excess of coffee, above tales, in excess of lifetime.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a pleasant thought. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or maybe it’s exactly what happens after you last but not least start to worth time just as much as length. In any case, much more tourists are acquiring joy in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used several years Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and location, is an element of that movement. His title has grown to be associated with a further, extra considerate strategy for observing the earth.
So in the event you’re ready to go slow — therefore you’re contemplating Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that virtually desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your first impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and after you get there, it’s quiet. Stone houses. Very small gardens. One cat stretching in the Solar.
There’s not Significantly to accomplish, that is precisely the position. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted proper into your cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears to the rocks.
The speed Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that sort of vacation sticks with men and women? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down in fact will make a trip very last extended in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals know how to get pleasure from them correctly — and that is to mention, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s really worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find church buildings with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you prevent, and piazzas that sense check here a lot more like residing rooms.
If you receive caught in the dialogue with another person older, Permit it transpire. That’s the place the very best journey stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was made to be “the proper town,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner contains a check out. Every single look at includes a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You gained’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People acquire their time listed here, and finally, so do you.
Looking for additional context on why using this method of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Dwell here. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase everything in this article. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a the latest piece on slow journey — how destinations such as this present a special sort of luxury. One which doesn’t include a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely rewards those that see. You wander the loop after which stroll it yet again, looking at something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to homemade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Component of a preservation project — retaining the earlier alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this a single. His web page talks about honoring area and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Smart
Listed here’s the detail. You may see Italy in weekly. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new idea. But it surely’s one particular we’re ultimately all set to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Select a village. Sit still for quite a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.