Some spots aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to certainly savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only fill up following midday. The sorts of places wherever locals know how to linger — around coffee, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. It's possible it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s exactly what comes about any time you ultimately begin to value time up to distance. In any event, additional tourists are getting joy in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that motion. His identify has grown to be affiliated with a further, far more thoughtful way of looking at the earth.
So when you’re able to go gradual — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander throughout an extended, elevated path, and whenever you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the sun.
There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.
The tempo Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact helps make a visit previous for a longer period as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals understand how to enjoy them appropriately — that is to state, gradually.
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 if the sun hits just right. You’ll come across 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 somebody older, Enable it happen. That’s where the most beneficial vacation tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives listed here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner contains a check out. Each watch has a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, generally — pecorino ageing in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You gained’t hurry anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Individuals consider their time here, and at some point, so do you.
Trying to find much more context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and travel in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone measures and unexpected murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell in this article. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels additional similar to a temper than the usual destination.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything here. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience inside a recent piece on slow travel — how sites similar to this offer you a different style of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it surely rewards those who see. You wander the loop after which you can wander it once check here more, observing something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — within a “this in fact hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Section of a preservation project — holding the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what precisely this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy in this article, and that is what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Good
Right here’s the thing. It is possible to see Italy in a week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you overlook it by next Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new thought. But it’s one we’re last but not least able to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Select a village. Sit still for some time. Allow Italy arrive at you.