Some spots aren’t created for speed. Italy is filled with them. Gradual vacation in Italy lets you definitely savor community tradition, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own private speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slender for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up right after midday. The forms of locations where locals understand how to linger — more than coffee, over stories, about lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a good thought. It feels essential. Maybe it’s a reaction to several years of hurrying. Or even it’s precisely what happens once you last but not least start to price time around distance. Either way, extra travelers are obtaining joy in Mastering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years exploring how we hook up with society and put, is an element of that motion. His name is becoming connected to a deeper, much more thoughtful technique for looking at the whole world.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re contemplating Italy — Allow me to share 7 spots that pretty much demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
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. Automobiles can’t get in. You walk throughout a protracted, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone houses. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching within the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to complete, which is exactly the point. You wander, possibly grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to note The sunshine. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built proper to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit final longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase right here, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them correctly — that is to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a check out from the sting of town that’s truly worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you cease, and piazzas that feel far more like dwelling rooms.
If you will get trapped inside a discussion with anyone more mature, let it come about. That’s where the most effective journey tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was created to be “the proper metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner includes a look at. Each individual view has a breeze.
However it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, generally — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Men and women get their time right here, and eventually, so would you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels additional just like a mood than a location.
Sunsets hit various 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 inside a current piece on gradual journey — how areas like this give a unique sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it benefits those that detect. more info You walk the loop and afterwards walk it yet again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in a “this really hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Section of a preservation job — preserving the earlier alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this one. His page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s nothing flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the thing. You can see Italy in weekly. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new notion. However it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.