Some locations aren’t created for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual vacation in Italy permits you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own personal pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up just after noon. The kinds of destinations wherever locals know how to linger — about coffee, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels crucial. Probably it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens once you eventually begin to benefit time as much as distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are obtaining joy in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful technique for observing the whole world.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re considering Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that almost need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to try and do, that is exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed appropriate in the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.
The rate here is slow, although 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 from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down actually will make a trip past for a longer period with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which happens to be to mention, slowly but surely.
There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel much more like living rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it materialize. That’s where the very best travel tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner provides a watch. Every single check out features a breeze.
But it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People today just take their time here, and finally, so do you.
Seeking more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse 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 actions and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Stay in this article. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience within a latest piece on sluggish vacation — how locations like this give a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, however it rewards individuals that notice. You stroll the loop and afterwards walk it yet again, observing anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy exhibits its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — in the “this in fact hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside 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 A part of a preservation task — preserving the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this one. His page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all get more info flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the matter. You may see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by subsequent Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it really’s a single we’re finally willing to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit still for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.