Some areas aren’t manufactured for pace. Italy is full of them. Slow vacation in Italy enables you to really savor nearby lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The forms of locations where locals understand how to linger — over coffee, around stories, over lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a response to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place after you ultimately start to worth time just as much as length. In any case, more tourists are discovering joy in Understanding to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years Discovering how we connect with tradition and location, is part of that motion. His identify happens to be associated with a further, additional thoughtful method of seeing the planet.
So in the event you’re able to go slow — and also you’re considering Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that basically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the point. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
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. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The pace Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down essentially can make a trip previous for a longer time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals understand how to enjoy them thoroughly — that's to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine read more hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that really feel much more like living rooms.
If you have caught in the discussion with anyone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the most effective travel tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the best metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner has a view. Each individual perspective provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals acquire their time listed here, and eventually, so would you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the go through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels more like a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct 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 experience within a latest piece on slow vacation — how spots like this provide a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it rewards people that recognize. You wander the loop after which stroll it again, observing something new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — within a “this actually hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Element of a preservation venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, and that is what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Intelligent
In this article’s the detail. You could see Italy in every week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by future Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh concept. But it surely’s 1 we’re eventually able to hear.
So go. Gradually. Select a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.