Some destinations aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow travel in Italy lets you really savor nearby lifestyle, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own private pace.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too narrow for automobiles. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The kinds of sites wherever locals understand how to linger — about espresso, about stories, more than life.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a nice idea. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens once you at last begin to worth time as much as length. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested yrs exploring how we connect with lifestyle and area, is a component of that movement. His name is now linked to a deeper, more considerate method of looking at the earth.
So in the event you’re able to go slow — and you simply’re wondering Italy — here are seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You wander across an extended, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone properties. Small gardens. Just one cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to try and do, that is precisely the place. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to notice The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially can make a visit last extended in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Tranquil, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them correctly — and that is to say, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s well worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits just right. You’ll come across church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that really feel extra like living rooms.
If you receive stuck in a dialogue with someone more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the very best vacation tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was meant to be “the best metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner includes a see. Each perspective provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You received’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today get their time right here, and eventually, so does one.
Searching for additional context on why this fashion of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food stuff and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels additional similar to a mood than a destination.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything listed here. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling inside of a the latest piece on sluggish journey — how destinations like this give another form of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely benefits individuals who discover. You walk the loop then wander it again, seeing a thing new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is when website the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are Portion of a preservation task — preserving the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this just one. His web page talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, and that is what makes it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by future Tuesday?
Travel similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different notion. However it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for some time. Let Italy come to you.