Some destinations aren’t made for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy means that you can certainly savor area lifestyle, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of areas exactly where locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, around existence.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice plan. It feels important. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what comes about whenever you eventually begin to benefit time as much as distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are obtaining Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His name has grown to be affiliated with a deeper, extra considerate means of viewing the planet.
So in the event you’re prepared to go gradual — therefore you’re contemplating Italy — Here's seven places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and if you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Solar.
There’s not A lot to try and do, that is exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed proper to the cliffs. Basically 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 during the early early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down really makes a trip final for a longer period within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals know how to appreciate them adequately — and that is to mention, slowly but surely.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s value an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the sun hits excellent. You’ll discover church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you get caught in the conversation with an individual older, Allow it take place. That’s where by the best vacation tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a watch. Every single check out incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, ready to sample. You received’t rush anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks choose their time below, and inevitably, so would you.
In search website of much more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food stuff and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion inside a modern piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this supply a unique style of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, nevertheless it benefits those that observe. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it all over again, viewing some thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — in a very “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 Portion of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His page talks about honoring place and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy here, which is what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Good
Below’s the issue. You are able to see Italy in weekly. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new idea. However it’s a single we’re at last willing to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Select a village. Sit still for quite a while. Enable Italy arrive at you.