Some places aren’t made for pace. Italy is filled with them. Slow travel in Italy enables you to really savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The varieties of places in which locals know how to linger — over espresso, over stories, around lifetime.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a good plan. It feels important. Maybe it’s a response to several years of dashing. Or even it’s just what occurs if you lastly start to value time up to length. In any case, a lot more tourists are finding joy in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used yrs Checking out how we connect to society and area, is an element of that motion. His name is now related to a deeper, additional considerate means of observing the entire world.
So in the event you’re prepared to go slow — and you simply’re considering Italy — Allow me to share seven places that practically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander throughout a protracted, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Small gardens. A single cat stretching in the Sunlight.
There’s not Substantially to carry out, which is precisely the level. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed correct into the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears into your rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from 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 know why that sort of journey sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially makes a trip previous for a longer time in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Quiet, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes expand right here, and locals understand how to get pleasure from them adequately — that's to say, slowly.
There’s a perspective from the edge of city that’s well worth one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits just right. You’ll locate churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that truly feel far more like residing rooms.
If you obtain stuck within a conversation with a person more mature, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the most effective travel tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was built to be “the best metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner contains a view. Just about every look at has a breeze.
But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, generally — pecorino getting old in store windows and on counters, ready to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals take their time right 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 meals and journey in Italy. Worth the study prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Stay right here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something listed here. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling inside a latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations similar to this supply a different kind of luxurious. One which doesn’t include a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is usually a town check here that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, nevertheless it benefits individuals who notice. You walk the loop and then stroll it once again, viewing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not inside a “concealed gem” way — in a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are Element of a preservation undertaking — preserving the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His web page talks about honoring put and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Clever
Here’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You'll be able to hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by next Tuesday?
Travel like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new strategy. Nonetheless it’s a single we’re finally ready to listen to.
So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit continue to for quite a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.