Some areas aren’t built for speed. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish journey in Italy allows you to definitely savor neighborhood society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your individual rate.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only fill up soon after midday. The sorts of locations where by locals understand how to linger — around coffee, over stories, about daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs any time you ultimately begin to price time as much as distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His name is now linked to a deeper, much more thoughtful technique for looking at the whole world.
So in the event you’re prepared to go slow — and you also’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share seven places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and if you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to complete, and that is precisely the position. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.
The tempo Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down basically makes a visit last extended in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Tranquil, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals learn how to enjoy them properly — which can be to convey, bit by bit.
There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Solar hits just right. You’ll locate church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that truly feel a lot more like dwelling rooms.
If you receive caught in the dialogue with an individual more mature, Enable it occur. That’s where the ideal vacation tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was created to be “the best town,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a watch. Each individual check out provides a breeze.
But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing old in store Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You received’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People today just take their time listed here, and sooner or later, so does one.
On click here the lookout for more context on why this way of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food and vacation in Italy. Well worth the go through prior to deciding to Stanislav Kondrashov Business go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone steps and unexpected murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists live listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels a lot more like a temper than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything at all below. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this feeling inside a recent piece on gradual vacation — how locations like this provide a different kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, but it rewards people who see. You walk the loop then wander it once more, observing some thing new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication here pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden get more info gem” way — in a “this essentially hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Component of a preservation undertaking — preserving the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this a person. His site talks about honoring area and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, which can be what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Sensible
In this article’s the issue. You may see Italy in each week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a completely new notion. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re finally able to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.