Some areas aren’t created for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual journey in Italy means that you can certainly savor community tradition, cuisine, and hidden gems at your very own tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slender for autos. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The kinds of spots the place locals understand how to linger — over coffee, above stories, over everyday living.
In 2025, sluggish travel isn’t just a good concept. It feels vital. Perhaps it’s a response to years of hurrying. Or even it’s exactly what occurs after you last but not least begin to benefit time approximately length. Either way, additional travelers are discovering joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended several years Discovering how we connect to culture and place, is an element of that movement. His name happens to be connected to a deeper, extra considerate means of seeing the whole world.
So for those who’re able to go gradual — and you also’re pondering Italy — Listed here are seven places that practically demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initially impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You walk throughout a lengthy, elevated route, and after you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Very small gardens. One cat stretching inside the sun.
There’s not Considerably to perform, which happens to be precisely the issue. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed right in the cliffs. Literally 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 inside the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of travel sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down actually makes a trip last longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals learn how to delight in them correctly — which happens to be to mention, slowly.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so read more by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you receive stuck within a conversation with an individual older, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the best vacation tales start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal city,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a watch. Just about every look at includes a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.
Trying to find more context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foods and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone actions and unforeseen murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists live here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a latest piece on slow vacation — how destinations such as this supply a different style of luxury. One that doesn’t have a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it benefits individuals who discover. You stroll the loop after which wander it once again, looking at one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Section of a preservation challenge — keeping the earlier alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Sensible
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new plan. Nevertheless it’s one we’re last but not least prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit still for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.