Some locations aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy means that you can definitely savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The styles of spots in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than tales, over daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s just what occurs after you ultimately start to price time about length. In any case, far more travelers are getting joy in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used several years Checking out how we connect with society and place, is an element of that motion. His title has grown to be affiliated with a deeper, more thoughtful means of viewing the globe.
So for those who’re prepared to go gradual — therefore you’re wondering Italy — here are 7 spots that pretty much need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a lengthy, elevated route, and if you arrive, it’s quiet. Stone residences. Small gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Solar.
There’s not Significantly to try and do, which can be exactly the place. You wander, it's possible get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed correct into the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in to the rocks.
The tempo here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down really can make a trip final lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes increase right here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — which can be to convey, little by little.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s really worth an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll find churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.
If you receive trapped in a conversation with somebody more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where the most beneficial vacation stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was made to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner has a view. Every perspective provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women just take their time in this article, and inevitably, so do you.
In search of more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the read through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unpredicted murals and shadows that shift as the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels additional similar to a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very latest piece on sluggish journey — how places like this provide a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it rewards people who detect. You walk the loop and then stroll it all over again, seeing a thing new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way read more — in a very “this actually hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Element of a preservation venture — preserving the earlier alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, and that is what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Intelligent
Right here’s the issue. You are able to see Italy in weekly. You can hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new concept. However it’s just one we’re lastly ready to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.