Some spots aren’t produced for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy permits you to genuinely savor nearby society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own personal pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up just after noon. The types of sites wherever locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, over lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. Possibly it’s a response to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about whenever you last but not least begin to price time as much as length. Either way, much more travelers are obtaining joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that motion. His title has grown to be connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful technique for looking at the whole world.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re considering 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 impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and whenever you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching inside the Solar.
There’s not Significantly to carry out, that's exactly the stage. You wander, possibly grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You begin to notice the light. As well as silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of travel sticks with people today? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a trip past for a longer period as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand in this article, and locals know how to enjoy them adequately — that is to state, gradually.
There’s a perspective from the sting of town that’s well worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll obtain churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you receive stuck in the discussion with another person more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the very best travel tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a perspective. Each individual perspective provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks take their time below, and ultimately, so would you.
Looking for far more context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the examine 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 methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the day moves. read more Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on gradual travel — how locations similar to this offer you a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it rewards those that detect. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — inside of a “this in fact hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are part of a preservation job — holding the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His site talks about honoring put and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, which happens to be what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Wise
Below’s the point. You may see Italy in each week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new strategy. But it surely’s just one we’re at last ready to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Select a village. Sit continue to for some time. Permit Italy come to you.