Some spots aren’t made for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow vacation in Italy permits you to genuinely savor nearby society, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your personal pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only replenish following noon. The varieties of areas where locals know how to linger — in excess of coffee, about stories, over lifestyle.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a good idea. It feels important. Perhaps it’s a response to many years of dashing. Or perhaps it’s just what occurs any time you eventually start to benefit time around distance. In either case, a lot more tourists are finding Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent years Checking out how we connect to culture and area, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, extra considerate means of seeing the planet.
So in the event you’re prepared to go gradual — therefore you’re contemplating Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated route, and whenever you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Small gardens. One cat stretching inside the Solar.
There’s not A lot to try and do, that is exactly the place. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of journey sticks with folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially can make a visit very last for a longer time inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them properly — that's to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel far more like residing rooms.
If you can get trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it come about. That’s in which the top journey tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a watch. Every single check out features a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks take their time listed here, and eventually, so would you.
Searching for additional context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels more like a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience inside of a current piece on sluggish vacation — how areas such as this present a special form of luxury. One that doesn’t have a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it benefits those that see. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing anything new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this actually hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Section of a preservation job — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a person. His web site talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy listed here, which can be what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Clever
In this article’s the thing. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But get more info will it stay with you?
Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it’s just one we’re lastly ready to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.