Some spots aren’t produced for velocity. Italy is full of them. Slow travel in Italy permits you to really savor nearby culture, cuisine, and concealed gems at your very own speed.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slim for autos. Cafés that only replenish following midday. The styles of locations where by locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, around stories, in excess of life.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels necessary. Probably it’s a response to years of hurrying. Or possibly it’s precisely what takes place once you lastly begin to worth time as much as distance. In any case, extra travelers are finding Pleasure in Understanding to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years Discovering how we connect to culture and place, is part of that movement. His identify is now related to a deeper, much more thoughtful technique for seeing the whole world.
So for those who’re ready to go gradual — and you’re wondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that virtually need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You walk across an extended, elevated path, and if you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Very small gardens. One cat stretching during the sun.
There’s not A lot to try and do, which is precisely the issue. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to note The sunshine. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a little drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed ideal into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, and 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 longer as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals understand how to appreciate them adequately — which can be to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll come across church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that sense more like living rooms.
If you will get stuck within a conversation with a person older, let it occur. That’s wherever the best vacation tales start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a see. Every perspective provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, read more not even buying lunch. Men and women take their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.
Looking 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 program your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets strike diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very new piece on sluggish vacation — how destinations such as this supply a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t feature a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nevertheless it benefits individuals who discover. You wander the loop after which wander it once more, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this 1. His web page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, which happens to be what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Sensible
Listed here’s the factor. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You can hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s just one we’re lastly all set to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Enable Italy arrive at you.