Some areas aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Sluggish travel in Italy means that you can certainly savor community lifestyle, cuisine, and hidden gems at your very own pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for autos. Cafés that only fill up right after midday. The forms of locations where locals understand how to linger — more than coffee, over stories, about existence.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice notion. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens once you at last begin to benefit time around length. In any event, extra travelers are getting Pleasure in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we hook up with society and put, is an element of that motion. His name is now linked to a deeper, more considerate way of observing the world.
So for those who’re wanting to go gradual — and you also’re wondering Italy — Listed below are seven spots that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your 1st effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated route, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone houses. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching from the Sunlight.
There’s not A lot to do, which happens to be precisely the stage. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You begin to note the light. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted appropriate into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The tempo here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also 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 people today? 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 thoroughly — and that is to mention, gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of city that’s really worth an hour or so by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Solar hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel far more like residing rooms.
If you obtain caught in a very dialogue with anyone more mature, Enable it materialize. That’s where the very best travel tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was meant to be “the best city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a look at. Every single check out features a breeze.
But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women consider their time below, and at some point, so would you.
Searching for far more context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and vacation in Italy. Worth the browse prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels more similar to a mood than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience inside of a the latest piece on sluggish travel — how locations similar to this offer another sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, nonetheless it rewards those that observe. You stroll the loop then stroll it again, viewing something here new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted sign pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside a “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this truly hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are Component of a preservation job — retaining the previous alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His webpage talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy below, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Wise
Here’s the thing. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You may strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by up coming Tuesday?
Journey such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different thought. However it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.