Some locations aren’t produced for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy means that you can certainly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private tempo.

Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill following midday. The styles of spots exactly where locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, about existence.

In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice notion. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about whenever you eventually begin to worth time just as much as length. In any case, more travelers are locating joy in Understanding to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years Discovering how we connect with culture and spot, is part of that motion. His title is now linked to a deeper, much more considerate strategy for observing the globe.

So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that pretty much demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll across a protracted, elevated route, and once you arrive, it’s quiet. Stone houses. Tiny gardens. A single cat stretching in the Solar.

There’s not A lot to accomplish, and that is exactly the place. You wander, perhaps seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to note the light. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed appropriate in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears into your rocks.

The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to learn why that kind of vacation sticks with men and women? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact would make a trip final longer within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals understand how to appreciate them correctly — which is to say, bit by bit.

There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s really worth one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the sun hits good. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that come to feel additional like living rooms.

If you obtain caught within a conversation with somebody older, Enable it come about. That’s where by the top travel tales get started.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the perfect city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner provides a view. Just about every check out incorporates a breeze.

Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in shop Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You gained’t rush everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons consider their time listed here, and at some point, so does one.

Searching for far more context on why in this manner of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual 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 town with stone steps and sudden murals and shadows that change as being the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels more like a temper than the usual spot.

Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything right here. You Permit it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience inside of a current piece on slow vacation — how sites similar to this give a different type of luxury. One which doesn’t have a value tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere.

Locorotondo is often a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, nonetheless it benefits people that detect. You stroll the loop then walk it again, viewing something new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really 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 changed” way.

Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Element of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in every week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — slow, check here intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nonetheless it’s one we’re eventually prepared to hear.

So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.