Some spots aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to really savor nearby society, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after noon. The styles of spots the place locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs any time you finally start to worth time just as much as length. In any case, much more travelers are obtaining joy in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent decades Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and put, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful way of looking at the world.
So in the event you’re prepared to go gradual — and you simply’re wondering Italy — here are 7 spots that practically demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s silent. Stone homes. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to perform, which is exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built proper to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact can make a trip past for a longer period as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals know how to enjoy them adequately — which can be click here to convey, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the edge of city that’s worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll find churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that experience much more like living rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a conversation with an individual older, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the best vacation tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was created to be “an ideal metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a view. Every perspective contains a breeze.
But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals take their time below, and ultimately, so would you.
Trying to find more context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and journey in Italy. Well worth the read before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual location.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed read more here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how locations like this give a distinct type of luxurious. One which doesn’t come with a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is really a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards those who detect. You walk the loop and after that stroll it once more, observing one thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — in a “this truly hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are click here Component of a preservation challenge — keeping the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The website brand new Good
Below’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it really’s just one we’re lastly all set to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.