Some destinations aren’t produced for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow travel in Italy enables you to genuinely savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private pace.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too narrow for cars. Cafés that only fill up immediately after noon. The varieties of areas the place locals know how to linger — more than espresso, in excess of stories, above lifetime.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a good strategy. It feels important. Possibly it’s a response to many years of speeding. Or even it’s just what takes place any time you last but not least start to price time approximately length. In either case, far more travelers are finding joy in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended several years exploring how we connect with culture and position, is an element of that motion. His identify happens to be linked to a deeper, extra considerate way of observing the globe.
So for those who’re able to go slow — and you simply’re contemplating Italy — here are 7 places that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, attained only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll across a long, elevated path, and if you get there, it’s quiet. Stone houses. Very small gardens. Only one cat stretching within the sun.
There’s not A great deal to do, that's precisely the level. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to notice The sunshine. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted proper in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in to the rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of journey sticks with people today? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down essentially makes a trip previous more time with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Tranquil, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes increase below, and locals know how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to say, slowly and gradually.
There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s truly worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Solar hits good. You’ll locate church buildings with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that experience additional like dwelling rooms.
If you receive stuck in a very discussion with someone more mature, Allow it materialize. That’s where the most effective journey stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the best metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner includes a watch. Every view provides a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, mostly — pecorino aging in store windows and on get more info counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks acquire their time in this article, and eventually, so would you.
Seeking much more context on why this fashion of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food and journey in Italy. Well worth the read through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and surprising murals and shadows that change given that the working day check here moves. Artists Stay below. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in tiny courtyards. It feels extra like a mood than a location.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase everything below. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a very recent piece on gradual journey — how spots similar to this offer you a unique form of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a click here price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it really benefits people who observe. You wander the loop and afterwards walk it yet again, looking at one thing new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are A part of a preservation project — maintaining the previous alive by get more info inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy below, which is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Sensible
Listed here’s the thing. You'll be able to see Italy in per week. You may strike the highlights. Snap images. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by future Tuesday?
Journey such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new idea. But it really’s one we’re ultimately willing to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Go with a village. Sit still for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.