Some destinations aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to actually savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own pace.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The styles of destinations the place locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, more than lifetime.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of speeding. Or perhaps it’s exactly what occurs if you finally begin to value time just as much as distance. In either case, additional tourists are getting Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a deeper, far more thoughtful way of viewing the entire world.
So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that nearly demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across an extended, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with people today? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly helps make a visit previous lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — which can be to convey, little by little.
There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the sun hits excellent. You’ll obtain churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you get trapped in a very dialogue with a person more mature, Allow it come about. That’s exactly where the most beneficial journey stories start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was built to be “the right town,” and honestly, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner includes a see. Each and every check out includes a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells wonderful. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing old in store Home windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today just take their time here, and inevitably, so do you.
In search of a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels extra like a temper than a desired destination.
Sunsets strike various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very new piece on slow vacation — how locations similar to this present another form of luxury. One that doesn’t have a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards individuals that detect. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it once again, seeing anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio click here (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are Portion of a preservation challenge — keeping the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His site talks about honoring position and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, that is what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Smart
In this article’s the detail. You could see Italy in weekly. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new notion. However it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.