Some locations aren’t made for pace. Italy is full of them. Slow travel in Italy means that you can truly savor local society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your very own tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish just after midday. The sorts of locations exactly where locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, over lifetime.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs any time you lastly start to benefit time approximately length. In either case, extra travelers are obtaining joy in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent several years Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify has become related to a further, additional thoughtful method of seeing the planet.
So in the event you’re able to go slow — and you simply’re wondering Italy — here are 7 spots that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to try and do, which can be exactly the issue. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with people today? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a trip last for a longer period in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve right here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them effectively — which happens to be to mention, slowly.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s well worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll come across church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a conversation with an check here individual older, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the best vacation tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the best metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a see. Each view contains a breeze.
But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino growing old in store windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today just take their time here, and inevitably, so do you.
On the lookout for far more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unanticipated website murals and shadows that change because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this present a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed read more partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits individuals who discover. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it again, check here observing some thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His page talks about honoring place and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in each week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re at last able to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.