Some spots aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy means that you can definitely savor community tradition, 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 refill following midday. The sorts of places where by locals understand how to linger — around coffee, around stories, in excess of lifestyle.

In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a reaction to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about whenever you eventually begin to price time as much as distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended a long time Checking out how we connect with society and put, is a component of that motion. His identify is now affiliated with a deeper, additional considerate method of viewing the world.

So in case you’re ready to go slow — and also you’re imagining Italy — Listed below are seven spots that pretty much desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the Solar.

There’s not Considerably to do, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. As well as the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the sort 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 into the rocks.

The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during 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 sort of journey sticks with folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially helps make a visit previous for a longer time inside your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes get more info mature listed here, and locals learn how to take pleasure in them properly — and that is to say, bit by bit.

There’s a see from the edge of town that’s worthy of an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.

If you have caught in a very discussion with anyone more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where the very best travel tales get started.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a look at. Every single check out features a breeze.

However it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This town smells amazing. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in shop windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry anything at all in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks take their time below, and at some point, so would you.

Searching for additional context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine prior to deciding to go.

Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill town with stone methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels a lot more just 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 in this article. You Permit it come to you.

Forbes captured this feeling inside a current piece on gradual journey — how areas like this give another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.

Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for notice, but it surely rewards people that recognize. You wander the loop after which wander it once more, observing some thing new each time — a cat over 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 — within a “this essentially hasn’t adjusted” way.

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Element of a preservation venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy listed here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.

Gradual Is The brand new Clever
Below’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you ignore it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. Nonetheless it’s one we’re at last able to listen to.

So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit still for some time. Permit Italy arrive at you.