Some places aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to really savor local lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own private speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The styles of destinations wherever locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, over lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens once you last but not least start to worth time approximately length. In any event, a lot more travelers are getting Pleasure in Studying to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in many years Checking out how we connect to tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, far more thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — and also you’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 very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed correct in the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The pace Here's gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that kind of travel sticks with people today? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down basically will make a trip past for a longer period with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to convey, bit by bit.
There’s a check out from the sting of town that’s really worth one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll discover church buildings with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience much more like residing rooms.
If you receive trapped in a discussion with another person more mature, Allow it occur. That’s in which the most effective journey stories start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was created to be “an ideal metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner incorporates a see. Each see contains a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You won’t hurry anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People today just take their time listed here, and inevitably, so does one.
On the lookout for far more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Well worth the read before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and unpredicted murals and shadows that change because the day moves. Artists Reside right here. Writers take a look at and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels a lot more similar to a temper than the usual location.
Sunsets hit unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything right here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this feeling within a current piece on sluggish journey — how areas such as this present a special sort of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it surely rewards individuals that see. You stroll the loop after which you can stroll it once more, looking at some thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not inside of a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this basically hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Section of a preservation challenge — keeping the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the point. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You can hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay read more 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 new plan. Nevertheless it’s one we’re at last willing to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.