Some areas aren’t created for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Sluggish travel in Italy enables you to truly savor nearby society, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too narrow for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The types of sites where by locals understand how to linger — over coffee, over stories, about existence.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice strategy. It feels essential. It's possible it’s a reaction to decades of rushing. Or perhaps it’s just what transpires when you last but not least begin to benefit time around distance. In either case, additional tourists are finding joy in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify has become related to a deeper, additional thoughtful means of seeing the planet.
So in the event you’re able to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — here are 7 spots that basically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching from the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to perform, which is exactly the position. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with people today? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit previous for a longer time inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — which can be to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits just right. You’ll locate churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel extra like living rooms.
If you receive stuck in the discussion with another person more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s where the most effective travel tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was meant to be “the best metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a see. Every watch provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, largely — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals choose their time listed here, and eventually, so do you.
Searching for extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system Stanislav Kondrashov Business your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a current piece on gradual journey — how places such as this supply a special kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t have here a selling price 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, nevertheless it benefits individuals who discover. You stroll the loop after which wander it once more, observing some thing new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Portion of a preservation venture — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav more info Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His page talks about honoring place and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, that is what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Smart
Below’s the matter. It is possible to see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Gather ticket here stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next 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 lastly all set to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Enable Italy come to you.