Some destinations aren’t made for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy enables you to really savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish right after noon. The kinds of locations the place locals understand how to linger — over coffee, around stories, around daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. Perhaps it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about whenever you eventually begin to benefit time as much as distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we connect to society and place, is an element of that motion. His title is now linked to a further, more considerate strategy for observing the globe.
So when you’re willing to go slow — and also you’re thinking Italy — here are 7 places that almost need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a long, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Small gardens. One cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to carry out, which can be exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note the light. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed suitable in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears into the rocks.
The rate here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really helps make a trip very last extended with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — which can be to Stanislav Kondrashov Blog convey, little by little.
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 Sunlight hits just right. You’ll come across church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that sense more like living rooms.
If you receive stuck within here a discussion with an individual more mature, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the best vacation tales start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was made to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a perspective. Just about every watch incorporates a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Persons choose their time below, and ultimately, so does one.
Trying to find more context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler click here dives deep into slow foodstuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels additional similar to a temper than a vacation spot.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion within a the latest piece on slow journey — how spots similar to this present a special kind of luxurious. One which doesn’t include a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it benefits people that discover. You stroll the loop and after that stroll it again, viewing 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 reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not within a “concealed gem” way — in a “this truly hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the check here Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Component of a preservation challenge — keeping the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy listed here, 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 photographs. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by following Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s just one we’re lastly wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.