Some spots aren’t manufactured for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual travel in Italy means that you can really savor community lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your personal tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish following midday. The forms of spots wherever locals learn how to linger — around espresso, about stories, in excess of lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice strategy. It feels vital. It's possible it’s a response to yrs of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what takes place if you finally begin to worth time up to distance. Either way, a lot more travelers are obtaining Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in a long time Checking out how we connect with culture and location, is part of that movement. His title is now related to a deeper, much more thoughtful means of seeing the planet.
So if you’re willing to go slow — and also you’re contemplating Italy — Allow me to share 7 spots that almost demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initially perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slender footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk throughout a long, elevated path, and when you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Tiny gardens. Only one cat stretching during the Sunlight.
There’s not A lot to complete, which can be exactly the level. You wander, it's possible get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to note the light. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed ideal in to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The pace Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that sort of vacation sticks with folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down essentially tends to make a visit past extended as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Peaceful, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes grow here, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them adequately — which is to mention, bit by bit.
There’s a watch from the sting of town that’s truly worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll obtain churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that sense more like living rooms.
If you receive trapped inside of a dialogue with anyone older, Allow it transpire. That’s where by the top vacation stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was made to be “the perfect metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner has a perspective. Each perspective provides a breeze.
But it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino aging in store Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals choose their time here, and inevitably, so does one.
In search of a lot more context on why using this method of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foods and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unforeseen murals and shadows that change because the day moves. Artists Reside in this article. Writers go to and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels far more similar to a mood than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase something here. You let it come to you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a current piece on slow vacation — how locations like this supply a distinct form of luxury. One that doesn’t have a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is really a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it rewards people that observe. You wander the loop and afterwards stroll it once more, looking at something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — in the “this in fact hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are part of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this one. His website page talks about honoring area and time, Which’s what exactly this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, that is what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Sensible
Here’s the matter. You click here are able to see Italy in every week. You can strike the highlights. Snap photos. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you ignore it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a fresh strategy. Nevertheless it’s just one we’re at last all set to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Choose a village. Sit still for some time. Let Italy come to you.