Some destinations aren’t built for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to really savor nearby culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish after midday. The sorts of sites in which locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, more than tales, more than life.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice plan. It feels crucial. Maybe it’s a response to decades of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you lastly start to price time about length. Either way, a lot more vacationers are getting Pleasure in Discovering to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested yrs Checking out how we hook up with society and place, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming affiliated with a further, extra considerate means of viewing the globe.
So when you’re wanting to go sluggish — and you also’re contemplating Italy — Here i will discuss 7 spots that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and whenever you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunshine.
There’s not Significantly to complete, which happens to be exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to notice the light. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted right in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.
The rate Here's slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually makes a visit previous lengthier within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals know how to delight in them appropriately — that is to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum more info in the event the sun hits good. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that experience much more like residing rooms.
If you can get trapped in a conversation with an individual older, Allow it transpire. That’s where the ideal journey tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was made to be “the right city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a view. Every view contains a breeze.
But it really’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, typically — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals choose their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.
Looking for far more context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a 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 website captured this feeling in a recent piece on gradual journey — how areas like this give another sort of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is often a here town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, however it benefits those that see. You stroll the loop and then walk it all over again, seeing a thing new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Component of a preservation project — maintaining the past 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 this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Here’s the thing. You can see Italy in here each week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But 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.