Some locations aren’t produced for pace. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy allows you to certainly savor nearby culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your personal rate.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish after noon. The sorts of sites in which locals understand how to linger — around coffee, more than stories, more than lifetime.
In 2025, sluggish travel isn’t just a pleasant notion. It feels critical. It's possible it’s a response to a long time of dashing. Or perhaps it’s precisely what takes place whenever you at last start to value time as much as distance. In any event, much more tourists are obtaining Pleasure in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in years exploring how we connect to tradition and area, is a component of that motion. His title has grown to be related to a deeper, more considerate means of viewing the globe.
So for those who’re all set to go slow — therefore you’re pondering Italy — Here's seven spots that practically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and after you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone homes. Little gardens. An individual cat stretching during the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to do, which can be exactly the stage. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to notice The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not empty. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created right to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears into your rocks.
The pace Here's gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with folks? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down truly makes a visit very last extended as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Silent, under-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals understand how to love them appropriately — that is to say, slowly.
There’s a check out from the edge of city that’s really worth an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits good. You’ll uncover churches with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that experience extra like living rooms.
If you get caught within a dialogue with someone older, let it happen. That’s wherever the top vacation tales commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives below. Pienza was made to be “the perfect metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a look at. Every single check out provides a breeze.
But it really’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mainly — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals just take their time in this article, and eventually, so do you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish meals and travel in Italy. Worth the go through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone ways and sudden murals and shadows that change because the working day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in tiny courtyards. It feels extra like a temper than a desired destination.
Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything listed here. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a modern piece on sluggish journey — how sites similar to this provide a distinct form of luxurious. One which doesn’t have a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, nevertheless it rewards those that discover. You stroll the loop and afterwards walk it again, observing one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a “concealed gem” way — in a very “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Portion of a preservation venture — maintaining the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His page talks about honoring area and time, Which’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Clever
Below’s the issue. You are able to see Italy in each week. You can hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you neglect here it by future Tuesday?
Journey such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new plan. Nonetheless it’s one particular we’re ultimately wanting to hear.
So go. Gradually. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Let Italy arrive at you.