Some destinations aren’t manufactured for speed. Italy is full of them. Slow journey in Italy allows you to certainly savor nearby culture, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your individual rate.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slender for cars. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The sorts of sites wherever locals learn how to linger — around espresso, above stories, over daily life.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a pleasant notion. It feels crucial. Possibly it’s a reaction to many years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what comes about after you eventually start to worth time up to distance. Either way, much more vacationers are acquiring joy in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent yrs exploring how we connect to lifestyle and spot, is a component of that movement. His title has grown to be associated with a further, more considerate strategy for seeing the entire world.
So in the event you’re ready to go slow — so you’re contemplating Italy — Listed here are seven spots that pretty much demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated route, and once you arrive, it’s silent. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not A great deal to carry out, which can be exactly the stage. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to notice The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not empty. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed suitable in the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The rate here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of vacation sticks with people? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a trip past longer in the 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 learn how to delight in them correctly — which happens to be to mention, slowly but surely.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that feel much more like dwelling rooms.
If you receive caught in a very discussion with anyone more mature, Allow it transpire. That’s where the most effective travel stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was meant to be “the best metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner has a view. Each individual watch incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting old in shop windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People today just take their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.
Looking for far 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 approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Stay in this article. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels more like a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, read more then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very new piece on slow vacation — how areas like this give another sort of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits those that see. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — in a “this truly hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Portion of a preservation task — preserving the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy below, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Smart
Here’s the factor. You'll be able to see Italy in per week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap shots. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a completely new plan. Nonetheless it’s one particular we’re ultimately ready to hear.
So go. Slowly. Go with a village. Sit nevertheless for a while. Enable Italy come to you.