Some sites aren’t built for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy permits you to genuinely savor regional society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your personal speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for autos. Cafés that only fill up soon after midday. The varieties of destinations exactly where locals know how to linger — above coffee, more than stories, over existence.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice idea. It feels critical. It's possible it’s a response to years of rushing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens after you eventually start to value time just as much as distance. In any case, more travelers are getting joy in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used several years exploring how we connect with society and spot, is a component of that motion. His title is now linked to a further, much more considerate strategy for seeing the planet.
So should you’re ready to go sluggish — so you’re pondering Italy — Listed here are seven spots that pretty much need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll throughout a lengthy, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Very small gardens. Only one cat stretching within the Sunlight.
There’s not Substantially to complete, which is exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You start to note the light. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built suitable in to the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in to the rocks.
The pace here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with people today? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down really makes a trip very last for a longer period within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals understand how to love them correctly — that's to convey, little by little.
There’s a look at from the edge of city that’s worthy of one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum read more when the Sunshine hits good. You’ll find churches with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that really feel far more like living rooms.
If you receive stuck in the conversation with a person older, Enable it take place. That’s exactly where the most beneficial journey stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was meant to be “the proper city,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner contains a view. Every see incorporates a breeze.
But it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino ageing in shop windows and on counters, willing to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women acquire their time right here, and eventually, so would you.
In search of a lot more context on why in this way of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foodstuff and check here travel in get more info Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and sudden murals and shadows that change since the day moves. Artists Are living right here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels more similar to a mood than the usual vacation spot.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything below. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a new piece on slow journey — how locations such as this present a distinct form of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, nonetheless it rewards individuals that recognize. You stroll the loop and afterwards walk it all over again, viewing a thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in a “this basically hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Element of a preservation job — preserving the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this a person. His web site talks about honoring position and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy right here, which is what makes it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Good
Listed here’s the issue. You can see Italy in per week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap shots. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by following Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded Stanislav Kondrashov Blog — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a fresh thought. Nevertheless it’s a single we’re eventually willing to listen to.
So go. Slowly. Opt for a village. Sit even now for some time. Allow Italy come to you.