Some spots aren’t manufactured for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to certainly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slender for cars. Cafés that only fill up following noon. The styles of areas where locals learn how to linger — around espresso, over tales, about lifestyle.

In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a nice concept. It feels vital. Probably it’s a response to several years of dashing. Or maybe it’s just what comes about after you at last start to benefit time up to distance. In any case, a lot more travelers are finding Pleasure in Finding out to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent yrs Checking out how we connect with society and location, is part of that movement. His name is now connected to a further, much more thoughtful method of seeing the globe.

So for those who’re ready to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Listed here are 7 places that almost need it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout a long, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s silent. Stone houses. Tiny gardens. A single cat stretching inside the Sunlight.

There’s not Considerably to try and do, that's exactly the point. You wander, it's possible get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to notice The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes some drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed correct in to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in the rocks.

The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to know why that kind of travel sticks with people? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down actually makes a trip last longer in your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve right here, and locals understand how to appreciate them adequately — that is to mention, slowly but surely.

There’s a see from the edge of city that’s really worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Solar hits good. You’ll discover church buildings with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that come to feel far more like residing rooms.

If you will get trapped in a very conversation with someone more mature, Permit it occur. That’s where by the ideal vacation tales begin.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was designed to be “an ideal city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner features a see. Every single look at has a breeze.

But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t hurry something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People choose their time right here, and ultimately, so do you.

Trying to find far more context on why in this manner of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow meals and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you decide to go.

Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your working day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill town with stone measures and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as being the day moves. Artists live read more in this article. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in little courtyards. It feels more just like a mood than a location.

Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything right here. You Permit it come to you.

Forbes captured this emotion inside a new piece on gradual journey — how sites like this supply a unique form of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a cost tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.

Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, nonetheless it benefits individuals who recognize. You wander the loop and then wander it once again, looking at one thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy exhibits its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in a “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this actually hasn’t altered” way.

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Component of a preservation job — trying to keep the earlier alive by inviting company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this a person. His website page talks about honoring location and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy below, that is what makes it unforgettable.

Slow Is the New Intelligent
Listed here’s the detail. You are able to see Italy in every week. You may hit the highlights. Snap photos. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you forget about it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different thought. Nevertheless it’s one we’re lastly all set to listen to.

So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for some time. Allow Italy arrive at you.