Some locations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Slow travel in Italy means that you can certainly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The forms of locations where locals understand how to linger — over coffee, about tales, above life.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s precisely what happens if you at last begin to benefit time around distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify has grown to be affiliated with a further, far more thoughtful way of looking at the world.
So in the event you’re prepared to go gradual — therefore you’re imagining Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunlight.
There’s not Substantially to accomplish, which happens to be precisely the stage. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact helps make a visit very last extended within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which happens to be to mention, slowly but surely.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel far more like residing rooms.
If you can get trapped in a dialogue with somebody more mature, let it occur. That’s the place the best journey stories start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the best metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner features a view. Each individual perspective provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today consider their time below, and finally, so does one.
Trying to find more context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Well worth the examine 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 ways and sudden 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 little courtyards. It feels additional similar to a mood than a location.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything in this article. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on gradual journey — how locations similar to this present a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it surely rewards people that recognize. You wander the loop then stroll website it once more, looking at one thing new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to handmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in the “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Component of a preservation project — maintaining 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 makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Smart
In this article’s the detail. You could see Italy in a week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by subsequent Tuesday?
Vacation similar to this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new notion. But it surely’s 1 we’re at last willing to listen to.
So go. Bit by bit. Go with a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Allow Italy come to you.