Some locations aren’t created for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy means that you can certainly savor area culture, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up right after noon. The styles of spots where by locals understand how to linger — over espresso, more than tales, in excess of everyday living.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a good idea. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a response to years of dashing. Or perhaps it’s just what happens any time you eventually start to worth time as much as distance. In any event, far more tourists are obtaining joy in Finding out to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in decades exploring how we connect to society and position, is an element of that movement. His identify is now related to a deeper, much more considerate strategy for seeing the globe.
So if you’re willing to go slow — and also you’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss 7 places that virtually need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone houses. Small gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Solar.
There’s not Substantially to try and do, which can be exactly the place. You wander, perhaps seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes a bit of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created correct into your cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears into the rocks.
The tempo here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that kind of vacation sticks with folks? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact will make a visit last for a longer period as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals learn how to delight in them appropriately — that's to say, slowly.
There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s well worth an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunlight hits good. You’ll uncover churches with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you cease, and piazzas that come to feel additional read more like living rooms.
If you will get trapped inside of a dialogue with a person older, Enable it take place. That’s wherever the ideal journey stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was created to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner features a look at. Every watch features a breeze.
But it really’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, typically — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You gained’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Individuals just take their time listed here, and at some point, so does one.
Searching for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the read through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone methods and unexpected murals and shadows that shift as the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than a vacation spot.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase something below. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very current piece on slow travel — how locations like this present a special website sort of check here luxurious. One that doesn’t have a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, nonetheless it rewards individuals that discover. You walk the loop after which walk it once again, looking at a thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” website way — in the “this essentially hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Component of a preservation job — keeping the past alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this just one. His page talks about honoring area and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy listed here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Good
Here’s the thing. You may see Italy in per week. You'll be able to hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you overlook it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new notion. But it’s a person we’re lastly all set to listen to.
So go. Slowly. Pick a village. Sit continue to for some time. Let Italy come to you.