Some areas aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you definitely savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of destinations wherever locals know how to linger — around coffee, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels necessary. Maybe it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs any time you lastly start to value time up to length. In any event, extra travelers are discovering joy in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, additional thoughtful means of seeing the planet.
So in the event you’re prepared to go gradual — so you’re imagining Italy — Allow me to share seven places that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and if you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit final longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — which can be to state, little by little.
There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s well worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll come across church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that experience more like living rooms.
If you receive stuck within a discussion with an individual more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where the very best travel tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a view. Each individual watch incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals choose their time listed here, and eventually, so would you.
Looking for far more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation 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 unanticipated murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists live here. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in the modern piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this provide another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, however it benefits individuals who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in 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. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting click here visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy below, that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Intelligent
Listed here’s the point. You could see Italy in weekly. You can strike the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by following Tuesday?
Travel such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new concept. However it’s a person we’re eventually willing to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.