Some locations aren’t made for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The sorts of places where by locals understand how to linger — over coffee, about tales, above life.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a good strategy. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to several years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what takes place after you lastly start to worth time up to distance. In any event, extra tourists are finding Pleasure in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time Discovering how we connect to culture and location, is part of that motion. His title has grown to be affiliated with a further, a lot more thoughtful way of looking at the world.
So if you’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initially impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You walk throughout a lengthy, elevated route, and whenever you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching inside the Solar.
There’s not much to try and do, that is exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down truly makes a visit last longer as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which can be to say, slowly but surely.
There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that experience much more like living rooms.
If you will get caught in the dialogue with somebody older, Enable it materialize. That’s the place the most effective travel stories get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was intended to be “the perfect town,” and honestly, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner contains a check out. Every single check out provides a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in shop windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.
Searching for far more context on why this way of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives website deep into slow foods and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone actions and surprising murals and shadows that shift as being the day moves. Artists Reside below. Writers pay a visit to and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels extra like a temper than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything right here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience inside of a the latest piece on sluggish vacation — how destinations like this offer you a distinct sort of luxury. One which doesn’t feature a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo is a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it benefits people who recognize. You wander the loop and then stroll it once more, looking at some thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this truly hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Element of a preservation undertaking — keeping the past alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this one particular. His web site talks about honoring location and time, Which’s precisely what this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Intelligent
Here’s the thing. You are able to see Italy in a week. You can hit the highlights. Snap shots. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you neglect it by upcoming Tuesday?
Vacation similar to this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new thought. But it surely’s 1 we’re ultimately wanting to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Go with a village. Sit however for some time. Enable Italy come to you.