Some spots aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to certainly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill following midday. The sorts of places where by locals understand how to linger — over coffee, about tales, above everyday living.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s exactly what occurs any time you finally begin to value time approximately distance. In either case, far more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used years Checking out how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is part of that motion. His name has grown to be associated with a deeper, much more considerate strategy for seeing the planet.
So should you’re all set to go slow — and also you’re thinking Italy — here are seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a long, elevated path, and whenever you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone houses. Little gardens. Only one cat stretching during the sun.
There’s not Substantially to accomplish, which happens to be precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted appropriate into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The speed Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of journey sticks with people? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down basically would make a visit last longer within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Silent, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop below, and locals know how to take pleasure in them appropriately — that is to mention, slowly.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll obtain churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel much more like living rooms.
If you will get caught in the more info discussion with an individual older, Allow it take place. That’s the place the ideal journey stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Each view provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People just take their time here, and finally, so does one.
Seeking extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and travel in Italy. Worth the read 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 as the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit various 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 inside of a the latest piece on sluggish travel — how sites such as this present another form of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it once more, observing some thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Element of a preservation project — keeping the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this 1. His web page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, which happens to be what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Good
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nevertheless it’s one we’re last but not least ready to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Enable Italy arrive at you.