Some places aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is full of them. Gradual travel in Italy permits you to definitely savor regional society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your very own speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars and trucks. Cafés that only fill up just after noon. The kinds of destinations in which locals learn how to linger — above coffee, about tales, in excess of daily life.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good strategy. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a response to decades of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what transpires if you finally start to worth time about length. In any event, a lot more tourists are locating joy in Finding out to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years exploring how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that motion. His title is now connected with a deeper, extra considerate method of looking at the earth.
So for those who’re prepared to go sluggish — and you’re wondering Italy — Here's seven places that nearly desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a narrow footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated path, and once you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Small gardens. Just one cat stretching within the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to perform, that's exactly the place. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to notice The sunshine. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created correct in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in the rocks.
The tempo Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with people? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down in fact will make a visit past extended as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes increase listed here, and locals understand how to delight in them effectively — which is to state, slowly and gradually.
There’s a look at from the edge of city that’s worthy of an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the sun hits good. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you get trapped inside a conversation with a person older, let it take place. That’s the place the most beneficial vacation stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was designed to be website “the right metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a perspective. Just about every watch incorporates a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, typically — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush 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 extra context on why in this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and travel in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unforeseen murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Stay in this article. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a current piece on gradual journey — how locations similar to this present a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it once more, observing some thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in the “this essentially hasn’t changed” 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 number of the inns are Section of a preservation job — holding the earlier alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His page talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, that's what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Smart
In this article’s the detail. You may see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap pictures. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But it’s one particular we’re finally willing to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Go with a village. Sit still for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.