Some spots aren’t manufactured for speed. Italy is full of them. Sluggish vacation in Italy enables you to genuinely savor neighborhood society, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your individual speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too narrow for vehicles. Cafés that only refill following midday. The styles of places the place locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, gradual journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels important. Possibly it’s a reaction to several years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what occurs any time you lastly start to value time around distance. Either way, additional tourists are locating Pleasure in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested many years exploring how we connect with society and location, is a component of that motion. His name has grown to be connected with a further, extra considerate technique for observing the whole world.
So for those who’re ready to go sluggish — so you’re thinking Italy — Here i will discuss seven spots that almost need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initial impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander throughout a lengthy, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Small gardens. One cat stretching while in the Sunlight.
There’s not Considerably to carry out, which is precisely the place. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You begin to notice the light. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes a bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed correct into your cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.
The pace Here's gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down essentially tends to make a visit past for a longer period inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them correctly — which is to state, slowly and gradually.
There’s a perspective from the sting of city that’s worth one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the sun hits good. You’ll find church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that experience much more like dwelling rooms.
If you obtain trapped in a dialogue with an individual more mature, Enable it take place. That’s where by the very best journey tales commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was designed to be “the perfect metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner features a view. Each individual check out contains a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in shop Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women get their time here, and at some point, so does one.
Trying to find additional context on why using this method of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the read 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 ways and sudden murals and shadows that change because the working day moves. Artists Are living in this article. Writers visit and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a mood than the usual location.
Sunsets hit distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase something below. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience inside of a the latest piece on gradual travel — how destinations similar to this give a unique type of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, but it benefits those that notice. You walk the loop after which you can wander it yet again, viewing a thing new every time — read more a cat on a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indication pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not inside a “concealed gem” way — in the “this essentially hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are A part of a preservation job — keeping the past alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this one particular. His web site talks about honoring place and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, and that is what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Below’s the factor. It is possible to see Italy in a week. You'll be able to hit the highlights. Snap photos. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?
Journey like this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a whole new concept. However it’s a single we’re ultimately able to listen to.
So go. Slowly but surely. Pick a village. Sit continue to for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.