Some spots aren’t designed for speed. Italy is filled with them. Gradual journey in Italy enables you to genuinely savor nearby culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill just after noon. The styles of places exactly where locals learn how to linger — above espresso, above tales, over lifetime.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a nice plan. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you finally begin to value time approximately distance. In either case, additional vacationers are getting Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His name has become related to a further, additional thoughtful method of seeing the world.
So for those who’re wanting to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share seven spots that almost demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across an extended, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s silent. Stone residences. Little gardens. A single cat stretching inside the sun.
There’s not A great deal to perform, which is exactly the level. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a bit of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed appropriate in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation 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 female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Silent, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes mature right here, and locals learn how to appreciate them properly — that's to say, slowly.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s worthy of an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Solar hits just right. You’ll locate churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, let it transpire. That’s wherever the top journey tales start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was created to be “the best city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. more info Harmonious. Every corner has a check out. Each check out provides a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, typically — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, able to sample. You won’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks just take their time below, and inevitably, so does one.
Searching for more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the browse prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone ways and sudden murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists live listed here. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual location.
Sunsets strike various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You let it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience within a modern piece on gradual travel — how places similar to this supply a special style of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nonetheless it benefits people that recognize. You walk the loop after which stroll it once more, observing some thing new every time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation venture — holding the past alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one particular. His page talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Good
Below’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in per week. You can strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.