Some areas aren’t produced for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual vacation in Italy means that you can truly savor nearby culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The styles of spots in which locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, over lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. It's possible it’s a response to a long time of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what takes place after you lastly start to worth time just as much as length. In any event, extra travelers are discovering joy in Understanding to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years Discovering how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His title is now connected with a deeper, more considerate strategy for viewing the entire world.
So should you’re able to go slow — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that nearly need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to accomplish, which is exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted correct in to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit final lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them effectively — which is to mention, slowly.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so 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 get stuck inside a conversation with a person older, let it take place. That’s the place the ideal journey stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner provides a watch. Just about every watch provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, primarily — pecorino aging in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You gained’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Individuals get their time right here, and at some point, so does one.
On the lookout for far more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food and travel in Italy. Worth the examine before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unpredicted murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels much more like a temper than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion inside of a the latest piece on gradual travel — how sites like this offer you a unique form of luxurious. One which doesn’t come with a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo can be a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it rewards those who recognize. You stroll the loop after which wander it all over again, looking at a little something new each 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 displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in a “concealed website gem” way — within a “this really hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are A part of a preservation project — retaining the earlier alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His website page talks about honoring area and time, Which’s just what this village does. There’s nothing flashy right here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the issue. You may see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a brand new idea. Nevertheless it’s 1 we’re finally wanting to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Select a village. Sit however for a while. Allow Italy come to you.