Some locations aren’t built for speed. Italy is filled with them. Slow journey in Italy enables you to actually savor local lifestyle, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private rate.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slim for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up right after noon. The forms of places where by locals understand how to linger — about coffee, in excess of tales, more than lifetime.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. Possibly it’s a response to several years of speeding. Or maybe it’s exactly what takes place any time you finally start to price time around distance. In any event, extra vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in learning to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used a long time Discovering how we hook up with lifestyle and put, is an element of that motion. His identify has become linked to a deeper, extra considerate way of observing the globe.
So when you’re prepared to go slow — so you’re thinking Italy — Here's seven places that virtually need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the sun.
There’s not Considerably to complete, and that is precisely the point. You wander, possibly grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed suitable in the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.
The speed here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of travel sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down essentially will make a visit previous extended in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes grow in this article, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them correctly — which happens to be to say, slowly.
There’s a check out from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Solar hits excellent. You’ll discover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel a lot more like living rooms.
If you will get stuck inside of a conversation with another person more mature, Permit it happen. That’s in which the most effective vacation tales start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was built to be “the ideal metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner features a look at. Every check out provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells amazing. Cheese, typically — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons just take their time here, and inevitably, so do you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why by doing this of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food stuff and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town website with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift as the working day moves. Artists Dwell in this article. Writers stop by and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in tiny courtyards. It feels extra like a mood than a destination.
Sunsets hit distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything right here. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience in a latest piece on slow travel — how spots such as this give a different type of luxury. One which doesn’t have a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, however it benefits individuals who discover. You wander the loop after which walk it all over again, looking at a thing new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — inside of a “this in fact hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Portion of a preservation venture — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His site talks about honoring location and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, which happens to be what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the issue. You may see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it really’s one particular we’re lastly wanting to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Opt for a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.