Some areas aren’t manufactured for speed. Italy is filled with them. Slow journey in Italy helps you to really savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up just after noon. The types of locations exactly where locals understand how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, in excess of lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good strategy. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs if you ultimately begin to price time up to length. In any case, far more vacationers are obtaining joy in Mastering to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years exploring how we hook up with culture and place, is an element of that motion. His title has grown to be related to a deeper, extra thoughtful technique for viewing the earth.
So in the event you’re ready to go slow — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Listed here are seven spots that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated path, and when you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching in the Solar.
There’s not much to do, that is exactly the position. You wander, perhaps seize a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to notice The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed correct to the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears in the rocks.
The rate Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by way 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 discover why that kind of journey sticks with people today? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually helps make a trip final for a longer time inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Quiet, less than-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop listed here, and locals understand how to love them properly — which is to convey, gradually.
There’s a watch from the edge of town that’s value one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits excellent. You’ll obtain churches with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that feel much more like residing rooms.
If you receive stuck within a dialogue with somebody older, Enable it come about. That’s in which the top vacation tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was meant to be “the ideal town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner incorporates a perspective. Each individual check out contains a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, generally — pecorino ageing in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t rush something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks take their time below, and at some point, so does one.
Searching for extra context on why in this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels more similar to a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything in this article. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a the latest piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this offer you a special kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits those that see. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, looking at one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the more info south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — in a “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Portion of a preservation task — preserving 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 right here, which can be what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new plan. However it’s just one we’re lastly wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.