Some sites aren’t made for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish journey in Italy permits you to actually savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of areas exactly where locals learn how to linger — above espresso, about tales, above life.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good plan. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a reaction to a long time of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place after you lastly start to worth time as much as distance. In any case, more travelers are obtaining joy in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time exploring how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is a component of that motion. His title happens to be related to a further, far more thoughtful method of seeing the planet.
So should you’re able to go slow — and also you’re considering Italy — Listed below are seven places that basically demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching in the sun.
There’s not Substantially to accomplish, that is exactly the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to notice the light. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed ideal to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your 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, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with individuals? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact helps make a visit previous lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them correctly — and that is to say, slowly but surely.
There’s a check out from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll uncover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you get trapped in a conversation with somebody older, let it occur. That’s in which the top journey stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was meant to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a perspective. Just about every watch incorporates a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t hurry something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals choose their time right here, and eventually, so do you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the working 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 Kondrashov Stanislav 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 special kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it once more, looking at one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, Which’s what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the thing. You can see Italy in weekly. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new idea. But it surely’s 1 we’re at last able to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit still for a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.