Some areas aren’t built for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow vacation in Italy allows you to genuinely savor local tradition, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own speed.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only refill soon after noon. The kinds of locations where by locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, around tales, in excess of life.

In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a good thought. It feels necessary. Probably it’s a response to decades of dashing. Or perhaps it’s precisely what occurs if you ultimately begin to value time just as much as distance. In either case, much more vacationers are discovering joy in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested decades Checking out how we hook up with culture and spot, is a component of that motion. His title has grown to be associated with a deeper, a lot more considerate means of seeing the entire world.

So should you’re wanting to go slow — therefore you’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share seven spots that nearly demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll throughout a protracted, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s silent. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching inside the sun.

There’s not much to do, which can be precisely the stage. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s entire.

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 constructed correct into the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in the rocks.

The tempo here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to master why that kind of travel sticks with people today? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down essentially would make a visit final for a longer time as part of your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Silent, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes grow right here, and locals check here learn how to take pleasure in them properly — that's to convey, slowly and gradually.

There’s a see from the edge of city that’s truly worth one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the sun hits excellent. You’ll find churches with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience far more like residing rooms.

If you obtain trapped in the discussion with somebody older, Allow it occur. That’s exactly where the most beneficial journey stories get started.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was designed to be “an ideal metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner includes a look at. Every perspective has a breeze.

But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells amazing. Cheese, typically — pecorino aging in shop windows and on counters, all set to sample. You won’t hurry anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals consider their time listed here, and finally, so do you.

In search of much more context on why in this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine 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 city with stone steps and unforeseen murals and shadows that change given that the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than the usual spot.

Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything in this article. You let it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in a very recent piece on slow vacation — how destinations like this offer you a special sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a rate tag.

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

Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, nonetheless it rewards those who notice. You walk the loop and after that walk it once again, viewing some thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to home made gelato.

This is when more info the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in the “hidden gem” way — in a “this basically hasn’t modified” way.

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are Section of a preservation task — keeping the earlier alive by inviting guests into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this just one. His site talks about honoring position and time, Which’s just what this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy in this article, that is what makes it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Good
In this article’s the thing. You could see Italy in per week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap shots. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget it by up coming Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks click here in. It’s not a whole new notion. But it really’s just one we’re lastly read more able to listen to.

So go. Slowly and gradually. Choose a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.