Some destinations aren’t manufactured for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to genuinely savor local culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slim for cars. Cafés that only fill up right after noon. The types of destinations where locals understand how to linger — around coffee, about stories, in excess of life.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good concept. It feels necessary. Perhaps it’s a response to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what transpires whenever you last but not least begin to price time as much as length. In any case, much more travelers are locating joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a further, a lot more thoughtful technique for viewing the whole world.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that basically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander across an extended, elevated route, and whenever you arrive, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. One cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not much to perform, which is exactly the issue. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed correct in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The tempo Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down really makes a trip last longer as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — that is to state, gradually.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits good. You’ll obtain churches with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that sense more like dwelling rooms.
If you get stuck in a conversation with somebody older, Enable it happen. That’s the place the best travel stories start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives below. Pienza was created to be “the proper town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner has a see. Each and every check out incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, mostly — pecorino aging in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Folks consider their time here, and inevitably, so would you.
Searching for extra context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers take a look at and read more don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels much more just like a mood than a spot.
Sunsets hit unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything here. You let it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a current piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this offer you a unique form of luxury. One which doesn’t have a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it really benefits people that discover. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Section of a preservation task — preserving the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Smart
Here’s the thing. You are able to see Italy in every week. You'll be able to hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new strategy. But it really’s one particular we’re ultimately ready to hear.
So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Enable Italy come to you.