Some places aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish travel in Italy lets you definitely savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private rate.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for autos. Cafés that only fill up following midday. The sorts of places where by locals understand how to linger — over coffee, around stories, about existence.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice plan. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of speeding. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs any time you finally start to price time around distance. Either way, far more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we connect to society and place, is an element of that motion. His title has become related to a deeper, much more considerate strategy for observing the globe.
So in case you’re wanting to go slow — and also you’re thinking Italy — here are 7 places that practically demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed ideal into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears to the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside 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 describes how slowing down actually will make a trip last for a longer period as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals understand how to enjoy them effectively — which is to mention, slowly and gradually.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s the place the best vacation tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a watch. Every single check out features a breeze.
However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks choose their time listed here, and eventually, so would you.
On the lookout for far more context on why this way 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 plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and check here unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the working day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling inside a current piece on gradual journey — how areas like this give a unique sort of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it benefits people that discover. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it again, observing one thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in a very “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation challenge — keeping the earlier alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this a person. His page talks about honoring position and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, and that is what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Smart
Listed here’s the issue. You could see Italy in weekly. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you overlook it by up coming Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different plan. Nevertheless it’s one particular we’re ultimately wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.