Some spots aren’t built for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow journey in Italy means that you can genuinely savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private speed.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slim for cars. Cafés that only fill up right after noon. The forms of spots in which locals learn how to linger — in excess of coffee, more than stories, in excess of lifestyle.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant thought. It feels necessary. It's possible it’s a response to many years of speeding. Or perhaps it’s exactly what comes about whenever you eventually begin to value time as much as length. In any case, much more vacationers are locating joy in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years Checking out how we connect to culture and area, is a component of that motion. His name has become linked to a deeper, a lot more considerate method of viewing the planet.
So in the event you’re able to go sluggish — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Listed here are seven places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching in the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to accomplish, which happens to be exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi. You start to notice The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created correct in to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of travel sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really can make a trip previous more time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Peaceful, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals know how to take pleasure in them adequately — that's to say, bit by bit.
There’s a check out from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll uncover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that sense additional like residing rooms.
If you will get caught in the discussion with someone older, let it transpire. That’s where by the best travel tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was designed to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a check out. Each and every see features a breeze.
But it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town here smells astounding. Cheese, mainly — pecorino ageing in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time listed here, and at some point, so does one.
Seeking much more context on why by doing this of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and travel in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone measures and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels a lot more like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this supply a special type of luxury. One which doesn’t feature a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it rewards those who see. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t improved” 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 a single. His website page talks about honoring area 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.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.