Some locations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual journey in Italy permits you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, cuisine, and concealed gems at your very own tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of areas exactly where locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, about existence.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a response to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what transpires when you last but not least begin to price time around 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 a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, additional thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.
So when you’re prepared to go gradual — therefore you’re imagining Italy — Here's seven places that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk throughout an extended, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s silent. Stone homes. Small gardens. Just one cat stretching inside the Sunlight.
There’s not much to do, that is exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to note the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed right into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears into the rocks.
The tempo here is sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically will make a visit previous for a longer time inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Peaceful, under-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase in this article, and locals learn how to enjoy them thoroughly — which is to say, slowly but surely.
There’s a perspective from the sting of town that’s worth an hour or so by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the sun hits excellent. You’ll find church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that really feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you have stuck in the dialogue with someone more mature, let it transpire. That’s wherever the top vacation stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was designed to be “the best city,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner provides a look at. Each individual perspective provides a breeze.
But it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells amazing. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women consider their time below, and at some point, so would you.
Looking for far more context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and vacation in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach 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 stop by and don’t go away. Locals host get more info concert events in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual place.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience within a latest piece on slow journey — how spots like this give a unique sort of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in the “this basically hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside 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 — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy here, which is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new plan. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least ready to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.
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