Some destinations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish vacation in Italy permits you to actually savor neighborhood tradition, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own personal speed.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up just after midday. The forms of locations where locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, more than tales, around daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a good idea. It feels critical. Possibly it’s a reaction to decades of rushing. Or maybe it’s precisely what transpires after you last but not least begin to value time up to distance. Either way, much more tourists are locating joy in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used decades Discovering how we connect with lifestyle and location, is an element of that movement. His title has become connected with a further, far more considerate technique for looking at the planet.
So in the event you’re prepared to go sluggish — and you’re wondering Italy — Allow me to share 7 spots that virtually need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and once you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone homes. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching within the sun.
There’s not A lot to try and do, and that is exactly the stage. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed suitable in the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into your rocks.
The rate here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of travel sticks with persons? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down essentially will make a trip last extended in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Silent, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes expand below, and locals know how to take pleasure in them properly — and that is to convey, bit by bit.
There’s a look at from the edge of city that’s value an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience much more like living rooms.
If you will get caught in the discussion with another person more mature, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation stories start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was designed to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a view. Every perspective provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks take their time listed here, and eventually, so would you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone ways and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers check out and don’t depart. check here Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels a lot more like a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets strike diverse 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 sensation within a latest piece on gradual journey — how areas like this offer another sort of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it surely rewards people that recognize. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and silent. 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 undertaking — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the thing. You can see Italy in weekly. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nonetheless it’s one we’re eventually prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.