Some destinations aren’t made for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual vacation in Italy helps you to genuinely savor nearby society, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your individual rate.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars. Cafés that only fill up after noon. The varieties of areas in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, above existence.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a good plan. It feels essential. Probably it’s a response to many years of hurrying. Or even it’s exactly what happens when you finally start to value time approximately distance. In any case, a lot more vacationers are finding joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that motion. His identify is now connected with a deeper, much more considerate technique for observing the earth.
So when you’re wanting to go sluggish — and also you’re considering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and whenever you arrive, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching in the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to accomplish, which happens to be exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted right into the cliffs. Virtually 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 through steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a trip last for a longer period as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — website which can be to state, little by little.
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 good. You’ll obtain church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel much more like living rooms.
If you will get caught in a dialogue with somebody more mature, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the most effective travel tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was created to be “an ideal town,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a check out. Each individual look at has a breeze.
But it surely’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You gained’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People just take their time listed here, and eventually, so would you.
Seeking much more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the examine 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 techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Stay listed here. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels a lot more 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 anything here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a latest piece on slow journey — how spots like this offer another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it once more, observing some thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Portion of a preservation task — maintaining the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in per week. You can strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new thought. But it’s just one we’re lastly all set to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.