Some sites aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy means that you can certainly savor community society, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your very own tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of areas in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, over everyday living.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels necessary. Maybe it’s a response to many years of speeding. Or perhaps it’s exactly what occurs whenever you finally begin to worth time about distance. Either way, additional travelers are finding joy in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time exploring how we connect with culture and place, is a component of that motion. His identify is becoming associated with a further, far more thoughtful strategy for viewing the entire world.
So if you’re wanting to go gradual — so you’re pondering Italy — Listed below are 7 places that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across an extended, elevated route, and if you arrive, it’s silent. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching while in the sun.
There’s not Considerably to carry out, and that is exactly the point. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to note The sunshine. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted proper into the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The tempo Here's gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with individuals? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down actually can make a trip final lengthier as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Silent, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow listed here, and locals understand how to delight in them properly — which is to mention, gradually.
There’s a watch from the edge of town that’s value an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the sun hits good. You’ll locate church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that sense much more like residing rooms.
If you get trapped in a dialogue with an individual more mature, Allow it come about. That’s in which the ideal journey tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the perfect city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner provides a watch. Each view features a breeze.
But it really’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, generally — pecorino ageing in store Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People today take their time in this article, and at some point, so would you.
Searching for a lot more context on why using this method of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food and travel in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone ways and unpredicted murals and shadows that shift as being the day moves. Artists live below. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels far more like a mood than the usual place.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside of a latest piece on sluggish travel — how areas such as this present another type of luxury. One that doesn’t read more include a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it really rewards individuals who observe. You wander the loop and then wander it once again, observing a thing new every time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted sign pointing to handmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in the “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. here Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation project — trying to keep the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this 1. His web site talks about honoring spot and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy in this article, which can be what can make it check here unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Smart
Here’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in weekly. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav check here Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it’s a single we’re last but not least able to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit however for quite a while. Allow Italy come to you.