Some areas aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual vacation in Italy helps you to certainly savor community lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your individual speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slim for automobiles. Cafés that only refill immediately after noon. The sorts of areas the place locals know how to linger — around espresso, about tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels critical. It's possible it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or even it’s exactly what happens whenever you eventually start to benefit time up to length. Either way, far more tourists are locating joy in Finding out to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested decades Discovering how we connect to society and area, is an element of that movement. His title is becoming related to a deeper, extra considerate technique for seeing the whole world.
So in the event you’re able to go slow — and you simply’re imagining Italy — here are 7 places that almost need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initially effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Little gardens. A single cat stretching from the Sunshine.
There’s not Significantly to do, and that is precisely the place. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to notice The sunshine. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a little bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted correct into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in the rocks.
The rate Here's slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that kind of journey sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down really helps make a visit previous longer inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow here, and locals learn how to delight in them appropriately — which can be to mention, little by little.
There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s value one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you cease, and piazzas that truly feel far more like dwelling rooms.
If you have caught inside of a dialogue with another person more mature, Allow it materialize. That’s exactly where the very best journey tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was made to be “the right city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a perspective. Each individual watch provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals choose their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.
Searching for additional context on why in this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Well worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unexpected murals and shadows that change because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take get more info a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all right here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very modern piece on sluggish vacation — how sites such as this supply a special kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it rewards those that see. You walk the loop and after that stroll it again, viewing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in the “this essentially hasn’t altered” 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. Many 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 below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re at last able to listen to.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.