Some destinations aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is full of them. Slow vacation in Italy lets you definitely savor community tradition, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your very own pace.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for autos. Cafés that only refill immediately after midday. The sorts of sites the place locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, around tales, over existence.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels important. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or maybe it’s exactly what comes about once you ultimately start to price time about distance. In any case, a lot more vacationers are finding Pleasure in Studying to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested many years exploring how we hook up with culture and place, is part of that motion. His title has become connected to a deeper, a lot more considerate technique for observing the earth.
So in case you’re all set to go gradual — and also you’re contemplating Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that nearly desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout a long, elevated route, and any time you arrive, it’s silent. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. A single cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not A great deal to do, that's exactly the stage. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a little drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed correct to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in the rocks.
The rate here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with people today? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down in fact will make a trip very last more time in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Peaceful, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes grow right here, and locals learn how to appreciate them adequately — which can be to state, slowly.
There’s a check out from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll locate church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel much more like residing rooms.
If you receive caught inside of a dialogue with anyone older, Permit it occur. That’s where by the top vacation stories get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was made to be check here “the proper metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner provides a see. Each individual perspective includes a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting older in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Folks choose their time here, and sooner or later, so do you.
Searching for extra context on why by doing get more info this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foods and vacation in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as being the day moves. Artists Stay listed here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in little courtyards. It feels additional similar read more to a temper than a vacation spot.
Sunsets strike diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything right here. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience within a current piece on sluggish journey — how sites such as this offer you another sort of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it benefits those that detect. You stroll the loop and then walk it all over again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Section of a preservation job — maintaining the earlier alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this just one. His site talks about honoring put and time, and that’s what precisely this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy in this article, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the matter. You are able to see Italy in a week. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap photos. Collect ticket stubs. But website will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Travel like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a fresh plan. But it’s a single we’re at last willing to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Let Italy come to you.