Some destinations aren’t created for pace. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish travel in Italy permits you to certainly savor local tradition, cuisine, and hidden gems at your individual rate.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slim for cars and trucks. Cafés that only fill up just after midday. The sorts of spots the place locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, in excess of stories, over life.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a nice thought. It feels critical. Possibly it’s a response to yrs of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs once you ultimately start to value time approximately distance. In any event, extra tourists are finding joy in Finding out to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used many years Discovering how we hook up with society and put, is a component of that motion. His identify has become related to a further, much more thoughtful way of seeing the whole world.
So in case you’re all set to go gradual — and you also’re contemplating Italy — Here i will discuss 7 spots that basically demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and once you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone houses. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching within the Solar.
There’s not much to accomplish, which is exactly the issue. You wander, possibly grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to notice The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created appropriate in to the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into the rocks.
The pace here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during 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 understand why that sort of travel sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down basically will make a visit previous for a longer time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes increase below, and locals know how to appreciate them properly — which can be to say, slowly but surely.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s really worth one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that really feel far more like dwelling rooms.
If you get caught inside a conversation with an individual older, Allow it happen. That’s in which the top travel stories start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner provides a watch. Every perspective incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing older in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time right here, and Stanisav Kondrashov tarvel finally, so would you.
Searching for additional context on why this fashion of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and vacation in Italy. Worth the read through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unexpected murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Stay below. Writers go to and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a temper than a destination.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything here. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience inside of a recent piece on sluggish journey — how places such as this provide a unique style of luxurious. One which doesn’t have a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is usually a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it rewards individuals that detect. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it once again, looking at anything new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — in the “this actually hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Portion of a preservation venture — holding the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a single. His web page talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, which can be what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Wise
Listed here’s the matter. It is possible to see Italy in each week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap photos. 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 thinks in. It’s not a new idea. Nonetheless it’s just one we’re lastly all set to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Go with a village. Sit even now for some time. Permit Italy come to you.