Some destinations aren’t produced for pace. Italy is filled with them. Gradual vacation in Italy permits you to certainly savor local society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish soon after midday. The kinds of locations the place locals know how to linger — above espresso, more than tales, more than daily life.
In 2025, sluggish travel isn’t just a pleasant notion. It feels critical. It's possible it’s a response to several years of hurrying. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens whenever you last but not least start to worth time just as much as distance. In either case, far more vacationers are finding joy in Finding out to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years exploring how we connect with lifestyle and area, is an element of that motion. His title happens to be associated with a further, more thoughtful method of observing the whole world.
So in the event you’re ready to go slow — and also you’re contemplating Italy — Here i will discuss seven spots that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander throughout a protracted, elevated path, and when you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the sun.
There’s not Considerably to complete, that's precisely the stage. You wander, probably get a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi. You start to notice The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted appropriate into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of vacation sticks with folks? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down essentially will make a trip previous extended with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals learn how to enjoy them thoroughly — which can be to say, bit by bit.
There’s a look at from the edge of town that’s truly worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunlight hits good. You’ll obtain churches with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel much more like dwelling rooms.
If you will get stuck inside a discussion with an individual older, let it materialize. That’s exactly where the ideal vacation tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was built to be “the best town,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner includes a perspective. Each individual perspective incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, ready to sample. You won’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Men and women get their time below, and finally, so would you.
In search of additional context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Worth the read before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and sudden murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Dwell right here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in little courtyards. It feels more just like a temper than a location.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase something below. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation in a very latest piece on sluggish vacation — how spots similar to this offer another form of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is really a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, nevertheless it rewards individuals who discover. You wander the loop and afterwards walk it again, observing one thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not inside of a “hidden gem” way — in a “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Element of a preservation challenge — retaining the past alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring put and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy listed here, that's what can make more info it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Smart
Listed here’s the thing. You may see Italy in a week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by following Tuesday?
Journey such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a fresh strategy. However it’s one particular we’re eventually prepared to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit still for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.