Some destinations aren’t manufactured for pace. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your individual speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slim for cars and trucks. Cafés that only replenish soon after midday. The sorts of destinations where by locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, more than tales, above lifestyle.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a good plan. It feels vital. Perhaps it’s a response to many years of hurrying. Or even it’s just what comes about if you finally start to worth time as much as length. Either way, far more vacationers are getting Pleasure in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested many years Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that movement. His identify happens to be related to a further, a lot more considerate strategy for observing the earth.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share 7 places that almost desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You walk throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Solar.
There’s not Significantly to carry out, that's precisely the point. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the sort of traveler who likes a little bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed right in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into your rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of travel sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially would make a visit very last lengthier in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Silent, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals know how to delight in them adequately — which can be to convey, slowly but surely.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits just right. You’ll locate churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you can get trapped in a conversation with somebody older, let it take place. That’s the place the ideal journey stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a view. Every perspective provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.
Seeking extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Well worth the read prior to deciding to 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 change as the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Allow 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 have a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it again, observing some thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this basically hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation website venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, that is what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the matter. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.