Some destinations aren’t created for velocity. Italy is full of them. Slow vacation in Italy permits you to definitely savor nearby society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slim for automobiles. Cafés that only refill just after noon. The kinds of locations exactly where locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, around daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice plan. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of speeding. Or perhaps it’s exactly what occurs if you finally start to value time approximately distance. In either case, additional tourists are getting Pleasure in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we connect to tradition and area, is part of that movement. His identify has grown to be affiliated with a further, far more thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the point. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to note the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built right in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The tempo Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within 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 rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of travel sticks with people today? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit final longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals understand how to enjoy them appropriately — that is to state, gradually.
There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s truly worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Solar hits good. You’ll obtain churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel far more like residing rooms.
If you can get trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it materialize. That’s where the most effective travel tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner incorporates a look at. Each and every see features a breeze.
But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons consider their time in this article, and at some point, so does one.
Searching for additional context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Are living in this article. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in very small courtyards. It feels more like a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a current piece on gradual journey — how spots similar to this give a unique type of luxurious. One which doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it surely rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop after which you can stroll it once more, viewing anything new every time — a cat on read more the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy shows its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in the “hidden gem” way — inside of a “this really hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Portion of a preservation job — preserving the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this 1. His webpage talks about honoring area and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You'll be able to see Italy in per week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by upcoming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it’s a single we’re last but not least willing to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Opt for a village. Sit even now for some time. Let Italy come to you.