Some places aren’t manufactured for speed. Italy is full of them. Sluggish vacation in Italy allows you to actually savor neighborhood lifestyle, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your personal pace.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish soon after noon. The types of areas the place locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, about tales, about daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice plan. It feels vital. Probably it’s a response to years of dashing. Or maybe it’s just what comes about once you lastly begin to worth time just as much as length. In any case, far more travelers are obtaining Pleasure in learning to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that movement. His identify has become related to a further, extra considerate means of seeing the planet.
So if you’re ready to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman 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. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching from the Solar.
There’s not Significantly to carry out, which can be exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed proper to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down really makes a visit last 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 region. Sagrantino grapes develop below, and locals know how to delight in them correctly — more info and that is to say, bit by bit.
There’s a view 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 just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel additional like living rooms.
If you receive caught in a very conversation with another person older, Permit it happen. That’s exactly where the top journey stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a check out. Each and every view has a breeze.
But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People just take their time right here, and eventually, 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 vacation in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels additional just like a mood than a location.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything below. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion inside of a the latest piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this offer you a distinct kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, however it benefits people that observe. You walk the loop after which you can stroll it again, observing one thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not inside of a “hidden gem” way — in the “this really hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Section of a preservation challenge — retaining the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this 1. His website page talks about honoring put and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy listed here, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Smart
Right here’s the factor. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it surely’s a single we’re finally willing to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.