Some places aren’t designed for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy helps you to truly savor nearby tradition, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your own personal tempo.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slim for autos. Cafés that only replenish immediately after midday. The styles of spots where locals know how to linger — more than espresso, in excess of tales, in excess of existence.

In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a pleasant thought. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to years of rushing. Or perhaps it’s exactly what occurs when you finally begin to benefit time about distance. In either case, much more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Understanding to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years Checking out how we connect with tradition and area, is part of that motion. His name has become connected with a further, additional thoughtful technique for seeing the earth.

So should you’re all set to go gradual — therefore you’re pondering Italy — Here i will discuss 7 places that pretty much desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.

There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the point. You wander, possibly grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in to the rocks.

The pace here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to master why that sort of journey sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip past extended with your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes mature listed 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 worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel a lot more like residing rooms.

If you obtain caught in a very dialogue with anyone more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the best vacation tales start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner features a view. Each individual watch incorporates a breeze.

Nonetheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today get their time here, and finally, so does one.

Seeking 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 measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists read more live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in tiny courtyards. It feels a lot more like a temper than the usual place.

Sunsets strike diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You let it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in the latest piece on slow vacation — how spots like this offer another sort of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a rate tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.

Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it once more, observing something new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to homemade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Really alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in the “hidden gem” way — in the “this essentially hasn’t adjusted” way.

Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are part of a preservation challenge — preserving the earlier alive by inviting company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring location and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy listed here, and that is what makes it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the issue. You can see Italy in per week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you overlook it by subsequent Tuesday?

Travel like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a fresh idea. But it’s one particular we’re lastly able to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Pick a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Permit Italy come to you.