Some sites aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow travel in Italy helps you to genuinely savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also narrow for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The styles of sites where by locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, over stories, in excess of daily life.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a good thought. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a response to many years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s exactly what comes about after you finally begin to worth time up to length. In any event, far more travelers are acquiring joy in Discovering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used many years Checking out how we connect with tradition and place, is a component of that movement. His identify is now affiliated with a deeper, additional thoughtful method of looking at the entire world.
So in case you’re willing to go gradual — and you simply’re imagining Italy — Listed below are seven spots that nearly desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a protracted, elevated route, and if you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not much to try and do, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially can make a trip last longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which is to mention, slowly.
There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits good. You’ll locate church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you can get trapped in a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s where the very best travel tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Each and every look at contains a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, able to sample. You gained’t rush everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women consider their time below, and at some point, so would you.
Searching for additional context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very modern piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this supply a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it benefits people who notice. You stroll the loop and then walk it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are part of a preservation venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy listed here, that's what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Smart
In this article’s the matter. It is possible to see Italy in per week. You can strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such get more info as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Enable Italy arrive at you.