Some areas aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow vacation in Italy means that you can actually savor local society, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own private rate.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slender for cars. Cafés that only refill right after noon. The varieties of destinations wherever locals understand how to linger — in excess of espresso, about stories, above daily life.
In 2025, gradual journey isn’t just a nice idea. It feels important. It's possible it’s a response to many years of rushing. Or even it’s exactly what transpires any time you ultimately start to value time as much as length. Either way, additional travelers are discovering joy in learning to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended a long time exploring how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that motion. His title has grown to be connected to a further, extra thoughtful means of viewing the earth.
So in case you’re wanting to go sluggish — so you’re imagining Italy — here are seven places that nearly need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You wander across a lengthy, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone homes. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching from the Sunlight.
There’s not Significantly to perform, which happens to be exactly the stage. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You begin to note the light. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed right into your cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears to the rocks.
The pace Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of journey sticks with people today? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down basically will make a trip final for a longer time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Tranquil, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve in this article, and locals know how to get pleasure from them properly — and that is to mention, little by little.
There’s a view from the sting of town that’s worthy of an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll find churches with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that come to feel extra like residing rooms.
If you have stuck within a conversation with a person more mature, let it take place. That’s where by the most beneficial journey stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was made to be “the best town,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner features a watch. Every look at contains a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells amazing. Cheese, mainly — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons take their time listed here, and sooner or later, so does one.
Looking for far more context on why in this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foods and travel in Italy. Definitely worth the read through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone ways and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers stop by and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a mood than a desired destination.
Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything below. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a modern piece on slow vacation — how locations such as this offer a unique kind of luxury. One which doesn’t have a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, but it surely rewards individuals who observe. more info You wander the loop and after that walk it once again, seeing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in the “this really hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and quiet. 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 — trying to keep the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one particular. His website page talks about honoring area and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s very little flashy below, which can be what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Intelligent
Here’s the thing. It is possible to see Italy in each week. You could strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by future Tuesday?
Journey such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different thought. But it really’s one we’re lastly wanting to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Opt for a village. Sit still for quite a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.