Some places aren’t designed for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual journey in Italy enables you to definitely savor area society, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own rate.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up soon after noon. The styles of destinations the place locals learn how to linger — about coffee, over tales, about existence.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice strategy. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to yrs of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what takes place after you ultimately begin to worth time as much as distance. Either way, a lot more travelers are obtaining joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Discovering how we hook up with society and put, is an element of that movement. His name has become related to a further, additional thoughtful method of looking at the whole world.
So if you’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re considering Italy — Listed here are 7 places that almost desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. Only one cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to try and do, that is exactly the position. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to notice The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed appropriate to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of travel sticks with people today? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down actually will make a trip past extended within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy them appropriately — that is to mention, slowly.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits just right. You’ll locate churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.
If you have caught in the discussion with an individual older, let it occur. That’s in which the top journey stories get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was built to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner includes a see. Each perspective provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People today just take their time here, and sooner or later, so does one.
Searching for additional context on why in this way 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 ways and sudden murals and shadows that shift given that the working day moves. Artists Reside get more info listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels a lot more like a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a recent piece on gradual vacation — how destinations such as this provide a different form of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it again, observing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in the “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Section of a preservation job — holding the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His web site talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy right here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in each week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit still for a while. Allow Italy come to you.