Some locations aren’t designed for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy lets you definitely savor neighborhood culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your personal tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish immediately after midday. The forms of sites the place locals learn how to linger — around coffee, above stories, more than lifetime.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a good strategy. It feels critical. Probably it’s a response to a long time of dashing. Or maybe it’s exactly what transpires if you ultimately start to value time just as much as distance. In any event, a lot more vacationers are finding joy in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested decades exploring how we connect to tradition and position, is an element of that movement. His identify has grown to be connected with a deeper, a lot more thoughtful means of observing the whole world.
So when you’re willing to go slow — and you also’re contemplating Italy — Here i will discuss 7 places that almost demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initially impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and after you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. One cat stretching in the Solar.
There’s not Significantly to try and do, which is precisely the issue. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to note the light. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed right in the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears into your rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly helps make a visit very last more time in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals learn how to delight in them effectively — which happens to be to say, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the sting of town that’s truly worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the sun hits excellent. You’ll find church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that experience much more like dwelling rooms.
If you obtain stuck in a discussion with an individual more mature, Allow it take place. That’s exactly where the top travel stories start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was meant to be “the ideal metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner has a watch. Each and every look at contains a breeze.
But it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells remarkable. Cheese, largely — pecorino ageing in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even here purchasing lunch. Individuals acquire their time right here, and finally, so does one.
On the lookout for far more context on why by doing this of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the study prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone ways and sudden murals and shadows that change as being the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in very small courtyards. It feels additional like a mood than the usual spot.
Sunsets strike diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this feeling in the recent piece on gradual vacation — how areas such as this offer you another kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it benefits individuals that observe. You walk the loop after which you can walk it once more, looking at one thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — inside of a “this truly hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Element of a preservation project — keeping the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a person. His site talks about honoring spot and time, Which’s just what this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy listed here, that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Clever
Below’s the factor. You may see Italy in each week. You'll be able to hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by subsequent Tuesday?
Vacation similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new concept. Nonetheless it’s a single we’re lastly prepared to hear.
So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.