Some areas aren’t produced for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual vacation in Italy enables you to really savor community culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your very own rate.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well narrow for cars. Cafés that only replenish following midday. The varieties of destinations in which locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, in excess of tales, around life.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice strategy. It feels crucial. Probably it’s a response to many years of hurrying. Or even it’s precisely what occurs any time you lastly start to benefit time about distance. In any event, far more travelers are acquiring joy in learning to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested many years Checking out how we hook up with culture and put, is part of that motion. His name has become related to a further, far more considerate technique for looking at the world.
So when you’re prepared to go gradual — and also you’re contemplating Italy — Listed here are 7 places that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander across a long, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching inside the sun.
There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to note the light. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the type of traveler who likes a bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built proper to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of travel sticks with individuals? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down essentially tends to make a visit final for a longer period within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Silent, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals know how to enjoy them adequately — which can be to mention, slowly and gradually.
There’s a watch from the edge of city that’s worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunlight hits good. You’ll discover church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you cease, and piazzas that feel a lot more like living rooms.
If you get caught in the discussion with an individual older, Enable it come about. That’s exactly where the best journey tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life get more info right here. Pienza was made to be “the best metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner contains a watch. Every single look at incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells remarkable. Cheese, typically — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People consider their time here, and sooner or later, so do you.
Searching for a lot more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foods and vacation in Italy. Worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone steps and unanticipated murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Dwell here. Writers take a look at and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels more like a temper than the usual location.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything here. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on sluggish travel — how areas like this provide a different style of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is really a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards people that notice. You walk the loop and afterwards stroll it all over again, looking at one thing new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to home made gelato.
This is where the south of Italy shows its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not inside a “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this actually hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are A part of a preservation task — holding the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. 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. Let Italy come to you.