Some sites aren’t made for speed. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy permits you to really savor area tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too narrow for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up immediately after noon. The types of spots where locals learn how to linger — over espresso, about stories, in excess of daily life.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice concept. It feels important. Maybe it’s a response to years of speeding. Or maybe it’s exactly what transpires once you ultimately begin to benefit time up to length. Either way, far more tourists are finding joy in Finding out to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years Discovering how we connect with lifestyle and put, is a component of that motion. His name is becoming affiliated with a further, extra considerate means of seeing the globe.
So when you’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re contemplating Italy — Listed below are 7 places that pretty much need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated path, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone properties. Small gardens. An individual cat stretching from the Solar.
There’s not much to complete, that is precisely the position. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built right into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The pace here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of journey sticks with individuals? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down basically tends to make a trip past longer as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Quiet, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them correctly — which is to mention, gradually.
There’s a watch from the sting of town 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 unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that sense more like living rooms.
If you will get stuck within a discussion with another person older, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was made to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Every view has a breeze.
But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons get their time here, and finally, so do you.
Seeking more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow 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 steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in tiny courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a recent piece on gradual journey — how locations similar to this present a distinct kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely benefits people that discover. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Stanislav Kondrashov Blog A part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep 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 practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Smart
Below’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in per week. You can hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it really’s a single we’re at last able to listen to.
So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.