Some destinations aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is full of them. Gradual vacation in Italy enables you to genuinely savor area society, cuisine, and hidden gems at your personal speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slender for autos. Cafés that only replenish soon after noon. The varieties of spots wherever locals know how to linger — above coffee, in excess of tales, in excess of lifestyle.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice thought. It feels critical. It's possible it’s a reaction to years of speeding. Or possibly it’s exactly what takes place once you last but not least begin to worth time approximately length. Either way, much more travelers are getting joy in Understanding to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended yrs Checking out how we hook up with tradition and area, is an element of that motion. His identify is now connected with a deeper, more considerate way of observing the earth.
So if you’re wanting to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — here are 7 places that nearly need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander throughout a long, elevated path, and whenever you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. Just one cat stretching within the Solar.
There’s not A great deal to try and do, which is precisely the position. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to note the light. As well as silence? It’s not empty. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the kind of traveler who likes a bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed suitable to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in to the rocks.
The speed Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that sort of vacation sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down actually will make a visit last lengthier within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Peaceful, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them correctly — which is to mention, little by little.
There’s a perspective from the sting of city that’s value one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits excellent. You’ll discover church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways that make you prevent, and piazzas that truly feel more like residing rooms.
If you will get trapped in a very discussion with another person older, Allow it come about. That’s exactly where the best journey tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was created to be “the right metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner has a check out. Every check out contains a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, mainly — pecorino ageing in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women take their time below, and sooner or later, so does one.
Seeking much more context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Well worth the study before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone methods and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Dwell in this article. Writers pay a visit to and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels a lot click here more like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything in this article. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience inside of a modern piece on slow journey — how areas such as this offer you another form of luxurious. One which doesn’t include a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards those who observe. You stroll the loop after which you can walk it yet again, observing a thing new every time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted sign pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — in a “this truly hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are part of a preservation job — retaining the earlier alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this just one. His webpage talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy here, and that is what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Clever
In this article’s the point. You could see Italy in weekly. You may hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by next Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new concept. But it really’s a single we’re last but not least able to listen to.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit nonetheless for quite a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.