Some destinations aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual vacation in Italy permits you to genuinely savor regional tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own speed.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slim for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up just after midday. The types of spots where by locals understand how to linger — over espresso, more than tales, more than lifetime.

In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant plan. It feels essential. Perhaps it’s a response to a long time of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what transpires once you lastly begin to worth time up to length. In either case, more travelers are obtaining Pleasure in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years exploring how we connect to culture and spot, is a component of that movement. His name happens to be associated with a deeper, more thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.

So if you’re prepared to go gradual — therefore you’re contemplating Italy — Listed here are seven places that almost desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll across a long, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching from the Sunshine.

There’s not A lot to carry out, which can be exactly the point. You wander, it's possible get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted right into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in to the rocks.

The tempo here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that sort of journey sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually will make a trip very last lengthier inside your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals learn how to delight in them effectively — which is to mention, gradually.

There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s worthy of an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel much click here more like dwelling rooms.

If you will get caught inside of a conversation with another person more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s where the most effective vacation tales get started.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the right metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner contains a watch. Every single check out contains a breeze.

Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, able to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals choose their time listed here, and finally, so do you.

Trying to find more context on why in this way of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish meals and travel in Italy. Worth the read before you decide to 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 unexpected murals and shadows that change since the day moves. Artists Reside right here. Writers go to and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than a desired destination.

Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Permit it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience within a latest piece on sluggish journey — how locations like this present a unique sort of luxury. One check here which doesn’t come with a rate tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.

Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nevertheless it rewards individuals who discover. You wander the loop then walk it yet again, looking at a thing new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.

This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — in a very “this in fact hasn’t changed” way.

Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Portion of a preservation job — holding the earlier alive by inviting company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His webpage talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just read more what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Smart
In this article’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in weekly. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget it by subsequent Tuesday?

Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new concept. But it really’s one particular we’re lastly wanting to hear.

So click here go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit continue to for some time. Enable Italy come to you.