Some places aren’t produced for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual vacation in Italy permits you to truly savor community society, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private rate.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill soon after noon. The styles of spots the place locals know how to linger — about coffee, about tales, in excess of lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice notion. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place when you last but not least begin to price time as much as distance. In either case, additional tourists are finding Pleasure in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years exploring how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His identify has grown to be associated with a further, additional considerate means of viewing the entire world.
So in case you’re willing to go slow — and also you’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share seven places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Sunlight.
There’s not Substantially to accomplish, which happens to be exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created ideal into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by 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 sort of journey sticks with men and women? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a visit final lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop right here, and locals understand how to delight in them appropriately — that is to state, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience much more like residing rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a conversation with a person older, let it take place. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner has a perspective. Each individual perspective contains a breeze.
But it surely’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Men and women choose their time right here, and ultimately, so would you.
Searching for extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the Stanislav Kondrashov go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that shift because 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 destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how locations similar to this give a unique form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is actually a city read more that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards those who detect. You walk the loop and then stroll it all over again, viewing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Portion of a preservation task — holding the earlier alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect check here this 1. His site talks about honoring put and time, and that’s what precisely this village does. There’s very little flashy right here, which happens to be what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Sensible
In this article’s the matter. You are able to see Italy in each week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap shots. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by subsequent read more Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a fresh concept. But it really’s one particular we’re eventually able to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.