Some locations aren’t manufactured for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual travel in Italy enables you to definitely savor local tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own rate.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars. Cafés that only fill up immediately after noon. The types of locations in which locals understand how to linger — around espresso, above tales, in excess of lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels necessary. Maybe it’s a response to decades of speeding. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place if you at last start to worth time up to length. In any case, a lot more travelers are getting joy in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used yrs Discovering how we connect to society and location, is an element of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, more thoughtful way of observing the whole world.
So for those who’re wanting to go gradual — and you’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share seven places that practically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slender footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and any time you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone properties. Small gardens. An individual cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not A lot to complete, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, probably get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to notice the light. And also the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built appropriate into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.
The speed Here's sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that sort of vacation sticks with folks? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down really would make a visit previous extended as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes increase right here, and locals understand check here how to delight in them thoroughly — which is to convey, slowly but surely.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits excellent. You’ll find church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that feel a lot more like dwelling rooms.
If you get caught in the conversation with a person older, let it happen. That’s wherever the top vacation stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was made to be “the right metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner provides a see. Each and every check out includes a breeze.
But it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, typically — pecorino aging in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t rush something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People today take their time below, and eventually, so would you.
Trying to find additional context on why in this manner of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Worth the examine before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Stay below. Writers pay a visit to and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels much more just like a temper than a place.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase something in this article. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a very modern piece on slow vacation — how places such as this supply a unique form of luxurious. One which doesn’t include a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, however it rewards those that see. You walk the loop after which wander it once again, looking at a little something new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside a “concealed gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Portion of a preservation job — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this a person. His website page talks about honoring location and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, which is what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Good
Here’s the matter. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by up coming Tuesday?
Travel similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh idea. Nonetheless it’s just one we’re finally wanting to listen to.
So go. Bit by bit. Choose a village. Sit even now for some time. Enable Italy come to you.