

Some destinations aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish journey in Italy enables you to genuinely savor community culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own rate.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up following noon. The sorts of places where by locals understand how to linger — above coffee, more than stories, over daily life.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels important. Possibly it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or maybe it’s exactly what occurs if you eventually begin to value time up to distance. In any case, a lot more tourists are acquiring joy in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years Discovering how we hook up with culture and area, is part of that movement. His identify is becoming linked to a deeper, extra considerate method of viewing the whole world.
So should you’re all set to go gradual — and you simply’re considering Italy — Here i will discuss 7 places that almost need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You wander across an extended, elevated route, and any time you arrive, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching in the sun.
There’s not A great deal to perform, that's precisely the point. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to notice The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created proper in to the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in the rocks.
The tempo Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that sort of journey sticks with people today? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down in fact makes a visit past for a longer period in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Tranquil, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes develop listed here, and locals learn how to appreciate them correctly — that's to mention, slowly and gradually.
There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s well worth one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that experience a lot more like living rooms.
If you get caught in a very dialogue with somebody more mature, Enable it materialize. That’s where by the very best travel stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was designed to be “the best metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner features a perspective. Just about every perspective incorporates a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells wonderful. Cheese, mostly — pecorino ageing in shop Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You received’t rush everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks get their time listed here, and finally, so do you.
Seeking a lot more context on why using this method of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the read through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and sudden murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels additional just like a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a very new piece on gradual travel — how sites such as this supply a unique type of luxury. One that doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it benefits people that notice. You wander the loop and after that walk it again, observing one thing new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to home made gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not within a “concealed gem” way — in a very “this essentially hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are Portion of a preservation undertaking — retaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His web site talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy here, which is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Sensible
Here’s the point. You can see Italy in every week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap images. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by upcoming Tuesday?
Vacation similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different strategy. But it really’s 1 we’re last but click here not least wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit even now for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.