Some locations aren’t produced for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to truly savor local lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill immediately after noon. The varieties of areas exactly where locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, about lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a response to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what transpires when you ultimately start to worth time just as much as length. In any case, far more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used decades Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and place, is an element of that motion. His title has grown to be connected with a deeper, a lot more thoughtful technique for seeing the globe.
So in case you’re wanting to go sluggish — and you’re pondering Italy — Listed below are seven spots that practically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your first perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the sun.
There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the point. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note the light. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed proper into your cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into your rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of journey sticks with men and women? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down actually tends to make a visit very last for a longer period in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes grow listed here, and locals learn how to enjoy them properly — that is to say, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the sting of city that’s value an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Solar hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that sense additional like living rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a discussion with somebody more mature, Enable it transpire. That’s wherever the top vacation stories get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “the right metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner contains a view. Every single check out contains a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in shop Home windows and on counters, all set to sample. You received’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People just take their time below, and Stanislav Kondrashov finally, so do you.
On the lookout for extra context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and travel in Italy. Well worth the browse prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and sudden murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels a lot more like a temper than a spot.
Sunsets strike distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything listed here. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling within a latest piece on sluggish journey — how sites like this provide a distinct style of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it surely rewards people who observe. You wander the loop and then wander it once more, viewing one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not inside a “concealed gem” way — in a very “this essentially hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are part of a preservation job — retaining the past alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this just one. His web site talks about honoring position and time, Which’s just what this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy right here, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the point. You could see Italy in per week. You may hit the highlights. Snap images. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new notion. But it’s a single we’re finally ready to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Go with a village. Sit nonetheless for a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.