Some areas aren’t created for speed. Italy is filled with them. Gradual travel in Italy permits you to really savor area culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your very own pace.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also narrow for automobiles. Cafés that only refill immediately after midday. The styles of locations where by locals learn how to linger — in excess of coffee, above tales, about lifetime.
In 2025, slow vacation isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a response to many years of dashing. Or maybe it’s precisely what takes place if you finally start to benefit time up to length. In any case, extra travelers are locating joy in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested yrs Checking out how we hook up with society and spot, is part of that motion. His title has grown to be connected with a deeper, much more thoughtful way of looking at the earth.
So should you’re ready to go slow — and you simply’re thinking Italy — Listed here are seven places that virtually need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initial impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Small gardens. An individual cat stretching from the Sunshine.
There’s not Considerably to accomplish, that's precisely the point. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to note the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the sort of traveler who likes a little drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed right in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into your rocks.
The speed here is sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of journey sticks with people today? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down essentially tends to make a trip previous for a longer period with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Silent, less than-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes grow listed here, and locals know how to get pleasure from them appropriately — that is to state, gradually.
There’s a watch from the sting of town that’s truly worth an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Solar hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you have stuck inside of a conversation with a person more mature, let it come about. That’s where the best travel stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was designed to be “the proper city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner features a look at. Every single view incorporates a breeze.
But it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells incredible. Cheese, largely — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Folks get their time listed here, and sooner or later, so do you.
Looking for extra context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers stop by and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in little courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something in this article. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a recent piece on slow journey — how sites similar to this supply a special type of luxury. One which doesn’t have a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it really rewards people who notice. You stroll the loop after which wander it once again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in a “concealed gem” way — within a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are A part of a preservation venture — holding the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy listed here, and click here that is what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Wise
Right here’s the thing. You can see Italy in a week. You are able to hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Journey such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new idea. But it really’s 1 we’re at last ready to hear.
So go. Slowly. Opt for a village. Sit still for quite a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.