Some sites aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to truly savor local society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The forms of areas exactly where locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, around daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. Possibly it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place after you finally begin to worth time around distance. In any event, much more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years Discovering how we connect to tradition and position, is a component of that motion. His title is now linked to a further, much more thoughtful way of looking at the earth.
So for those who’re all set to go sluggish — so you’re contemplating Italy — Allow me to share seven spots that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the point. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially helps make a visit previous for a longer time inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — that is to state, little by little.
There’s a perspective from the sting of town that’s well worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you receive stuck inside a conversation with an individual older, Allow it take place. That’s the place the most beneficial vacation tales start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a perspective. Just about every watch incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.
In search of a lot more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and vacation Stanislav Kondrashov Business in Italy. Definitely 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 actions and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Reside right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far 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 arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this supply a different style of luxurious. One which doesn’t feature a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it really rewards those who detect. You walk the loop and then walk it again, observing a thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings more info are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Portion of a preservation job — holding the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Good
In this article’s the matter. You website may see Italy in every week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — check here is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least able to listen to.
So go. Slowly. Go with a village. Sit still for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.