Some locations aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to truly savor neighborhood tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after noon. The varieties of areas the place locals know how to linger — around coffee, about tales, above everyday living.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good concept. It feels necessary. Maybe it’s a response to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about whenever you eventually begin to benefit time around distance. In either case, far more tourists are obtaining joy in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent a long time exploring how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His title has grown to be affiliated with a further, additional considerate means of seeing the planet.
So in the event you’re prepared to go gradual — therefore you’re imagining Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across an extended, elevated route, and whenever you get there, it’s silent. Stone houses. Little gardens. A single cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the level. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You begin to notice the light. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted right into the cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that kind of journey sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip very last more time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, check here coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals learn how to website get pleasure from them correctly — that's to mention, slowly.
There’s a perspective from the edge of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover churches 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 occur. That’s in which the top journey stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the best metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner has a view. Each individual watch incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People consider their time below, and finally, so does one.
Seeking more context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone read more measures and unforeseen murals and shadows that shift as the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase everything in this article. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a current piece on slow travel — how locations like this provide a special type of luxury. One which doesn’t feature a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, nevertheless it rewards those who observe. You wander the loop and afterwards wander it once again, looking at one thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — within a “this basically hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by check here candles. A lot of the inns are Portion of a preservation job — maintaining the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would respect this 1. His website page talks about honoring put and time, Which’s precisely what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy here, that is what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Good
Listed here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photographs. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by upcoming Tuesday?
Journey like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh concept. However it’s one we’re at last wanting to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Go with a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.