Some spots aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is full of them. Gradual vacation in Italy helps you to certainly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slender for cars. Cafés that only replenish right after midday. The types of locations where by locals know how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, more than life.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice plan. It feels critical. Possibly it’s a reaction to yrs of hurrying. Or even it’s just what happens once you lastly start to benefit time up to distance. In any event, additional travelers are getting Pleasure in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested years Checking out how we connect with society and location, is part of that motion. His title happens to be associated with a deeper, more considerate method of viewing the whole world.
So should you’re prepared to go sluggish — so you’re wondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that virtually demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your to start with perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, attained only by a narrow footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a protracted, elevated path, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. A single cat stretching within the sun.
There’s not Significantly to complete, which can be precisely the stage. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to notice The sunshine. Plus the silence? It’s not empty. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted ideal into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The pace here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that sort of travel sticks with people today? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down basically can make a visit previous lengthier as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase listed here, and locals learn how to love them correctly — which can be to say, slowly and gradually.
There’s a check out from the edge of city that’s truly worth one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits good. You’ll obtain churches with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that experience much more like living rooms.
If you have caught in a very discussion with an individual more mature, Allow it here come about. That’s in which the ideal travel tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was meant to be “an ideal town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner incorporates a look at. Each individual perspective has a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals acquire their time in this article, and eventually, so does one.
On the lookout for additional context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives get more info deep into gradual foods and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the working day moves. Artists Are living in this article. Writers go to and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels more similar to a temper than a destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You let it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a recent piece on slow vacation — how areas such as this supply a different form of luxurious. One which doesn’t include a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. here Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is really a town that folds in here on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, nonetheless it rewards individuals that discover. You wander the loop after which walk it yet again, seeing a thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy exhibits its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — in a very “this essentially hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Portion of a preservation venture — preserving the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one. His site talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Intelligent
Listed here’s the issue. You may see Italy in weekly. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. But it surely’s one we’re last but not least able to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Select a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy arrive at you.