Some locations aren’t designed for speed. Italy is full of them. Sluggish vacation in Italy enables you to truly savor nearby society, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal tempo.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars and trucks. Cafés that only replenish right after noon. The varieties of spots where by locals learn how to linger — above coffee, over tales, more than everyday living.

In 2025, sluggish travel isn’t just a pleasant thought. It feels critical. Possibly it’s a reaction to a long time of hurrying. Or even it’s just what happens whenever you lastly start to benefit time approximately distance. In any case, additional vacationers are obtaining joy in learning to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used a long time Discovering how we connect to tradition and location, is an element of that motion. His name has become associated with a deeper, extra considerate method of looking at the entire world.

So in the event you’re all set to go gradual — and you also’re wondering Italy — Allow me to share seven places that practically demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll across a lengthy, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Small gardens. A single cat stretching from the sun.

There’s not much to try and do, which can be exactly the issue. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note the light. As well as silence? It’s not empty. 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 built correct into the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in the rocks.

The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to find out why that kind of journey sticks with people today? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down basically tends to make a trip last more time in the memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop right here, and locals learn how to enjoy them properly — which is to state, slowly and gradually.

There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll uncover churches with unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you cease, and piazzas that come to feel extra like residing rooms.

If you have trapped inside a discussion with someone older, let it take place. That’s wherever the best vacation tales start out.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a perspective. Each individual perspective provides a breeze.

But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.

Trying to find extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read before you decide to go.

Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your working day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers visit and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a vacation spot.

Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You let it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this sensation within a current piece on gradual journey — how spots like this offer another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. 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 benefits individuals who discover. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it again, viewing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.

This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside check here of a “concealed gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t adjusted” 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 Component of a preservation challenge — keeping the earlier alive by inviting company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His web page talks about honoring location and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Intelligent
Here’s the detail. You could see Italy in weekly. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nonetheless it’s one we’re eventually prepared to hear.

So go. Slowly but surely. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.