Some spots aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Sluggish travel in Italy permits you to actually savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too narrow for cars. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The styles of spots in which locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, over everyday living.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels important. Possibly it’s a reaction to a long time of rushing. Or possibly it’s precisely what takes place when you last but not least begin to price time about length. In any case, extra travelers are discovering joy in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time exploring how we connect to lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be related to a further, more considerate strategy for observing the globe.
So should you’re able to go slow — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that pretty much 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 on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across an extended, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Substantially to accomplish, which happens to be precisely the level. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built right in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of vacation sticks with people today? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down actually will make a trip very last more time inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Quiet, under-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes expand below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — that's to convey, slowly.
There’s a see from the sting of town that’s well worth an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits good. You’ll find churches with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that feel additional like residing rooms.
If you receive caught within a conversation with anyone more mature, let it transpire. That’s the place the most effective travel tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “the right city,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a perspective. Every single check out provides a breeze.
But it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, mostly — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, ready to sample. You received’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People choose their time listed here, and finally, so does one.
Trying to find more context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foodstuff and travel in Italy. Worth the study prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels extra like a temper than a vacation spot.
Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience inside a latest piece on sluggish journey — how locations similar to this present another style of luxurious. One which doesn’t have a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, nonetheless it rewards those who recognize. You stroll the loop then walk it once more, looking at something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted sign pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in a “concealed gem” way — in the “this really hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in 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 part of a preservation project — keeping the previous alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this one. His web site talks about honoring location and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all website flashy in this article, and that is what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Clever
Here’s the issue. You could see Italy in a week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap photos. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you ignore it by next Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new idea. But it’s a person we’re last but not least prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for quite a while. Enable Italy arrive at you.