Some destinations aren’t created for pace. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The types of places where by locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, around daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to yrs of dashing. Or perhaps it’s exactly what occurs any time you ultimately start to price time about length. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time Discovering how we connect to culture and spot, is part of that motion. His identify happens to be associated with a further, extra considerate strategy for observing the earth.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — so you’re contemplating Italy — Here's seven places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching during the sun.
There’s not Substantially to accomplish, which happens to be exactly the level. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed 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 within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of travel sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down essentially would make a trip past extended with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature below, and locals know how to delight in them appropriately — that is to state, gradually.
There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll come across church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that really feel far more like dwelling rooms.
If you can get trapped within a discussion with someone older, let it take place. That’s wherever the best vacation tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was built to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner features a view. Every perspective contains a breeze.
But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, typically — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals take their time below, and ultimately, so would you.
Trying to find extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unexpected murals and shadows that change because the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels more like a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets strike diverse in Apricale. They click here paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this present a unique sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nonetheless it benefits people that recognize. You wander the loop then wander it once again, looking at one thing new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside check here a “hidden gem” way — in the “this actually hasn’t modified” 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 few of the inns are Portion of a preservation job — keeping the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. read more His web page talks about honoring location and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, that's what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Intelligent
Here’s the thing. You could see Italy in weekly. You may hit the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it read more stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But it’s one particular we’re ultimately ready to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Select a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.