Some places aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Slow vacation in Italy means that you can truly savor local tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal speed.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too narrow for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish following noon. The kinds of areas in which locals understand how to linger — around espresso, above tales, above existence.

In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice thought. It feels critical. Maybe it’s a response to years of hurrying. Or even it’s just what happens after you lastly start to value time about distance. In either case, far more travelers are getting joy in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is an element of that movement. His name has become linked to a further, additional thoughtful way of observing the earth.

So if you’re prepared to go slow — so you’re considering Italy — here are seven places that practically desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll across a lengthy, elevated path, and when you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching during the Solar.

There’s not much to do, which can be exactly the issue. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to notice The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s entire.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the type of traveler who likes a little bit of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created right in to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.

The speed Here's gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that sort of vacation sticks with people? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually will make a visit previous lengthier in your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Peaceful, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them thoroughly — which is to mention, slowly.

There’s a watch from the edge of town that’s value one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunlight hits just right. You’ll come across church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience a lot more like living rooms.

If you get trapped inside of a dialogue with an individual more mature, Enable it come about. That’s the place the best vacation tales start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was intended to be “the best city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a watch. Just about every see incorporates a breeze.

Nevertheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells wonderful. Cheese, mostly — pecorino aging in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Persons get their time here, and finally, so does one.

Trying to find extra context on why this way of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food stuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the study prior to deciding to go.

Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your working day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill town with stone actions and sudden murals and shadows that change because the working day moves. Artists Are living in this article. Writers pay a visit to and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels additional like a temper than the usual place.

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

Forbes captured this sensation in the recent piece on gradual travel — how areas similar to this provide a distinct sort of luxurious. One which doesn’t have a selling price tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.

Locorotondo is really a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, but it really benefits those that notice. You walk the loop then stroll it once more, observing something new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign get more info pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Very alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in the “hidden gem” way — in a very “this basically hasn’t improved” way.

Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are Element of a preservation venture — maintaining the past alive by inviting company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this a single. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, Which’s precisely what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is the New Smart
Right here’s the matter. You are able to see Italy in per week. You could strike the highlights. Snap photos. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?

Or will you ignore it by up coming Tuesday?

Journey such as this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a new plan. But it surely’s 1 we’re eventually prepared to hear.

So go. Slowly and gradually. Opt for a village. Sit nonetheless for a while. Allow Italy come to you.