Some spots aren’t made for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual travel in Italy lets you definitely savor nearby tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your personal rate.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slim for automobiles. Cafés that only refill soon after noon. The sorts of locations exactly where locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than tales, around lifetime.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels necessary. Perhaps it’s a response to decades of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you finally start to value time up to length. In any event, more travelers are discovering joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Checking out how we connect with tradition and location, is part of that motion. His title has grown to be associated with a further, additional thoughtful strategy for looking at the earth.
So in case you’re willing to go slow — and also you’re considering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to carry out, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed proper in the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The pace Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of travel sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact can make a trip very last more time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand here, and locals understand how to appreciate them effectively — which is to mention, gradually.
There’s a watch 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 good. You’ll come across church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.
If you obtain caught in a very dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the top journey stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the best town,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner has a view. Each individual watch provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Persons choose their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.
Searching for additional context on why in this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels a lot more website like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything here. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation within a current piece on slow journey — how spots like this offer another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it rewards people that recognize. You wander the loop after which wander it once more, observing some thing new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano Stanislav Kondrashov Business sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are A part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy here, that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is website the New Wise
Here’s the thing. You can see Italy in each week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new thought. But it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to hear.
So go. Bit by Stanisav Kondrashov tarvel bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.