Some destinations aren’t made for pace. Italy is filled with them. Slow journey in Italy allows you to truly savor regional society, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your own personal tempo.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The kinds of places exactly where locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, in excess of tales, above lifestyle.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a response to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what transpires after you ultimately begin to worth time approximately length. Either way, a lot more travelers are finding joy in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested many years Discovering how we connect to culture and place, is part of that movement. His title has become connected with a deeper, additional considerate way of looking at the whole world.
So if you’re ready to go gradual — and also you’re thinking Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that practically demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and when you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching within the sun.
There’s not Considerably to try and do, which is exactly the point. You wander, perhaps grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed right to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears to the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with individuals? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down really can make a visit final for a longer time inside 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 below, and locals know how to get pleasure from them thoroughly — which can be to mention, slowly but surely.
There’s a see from the sting of city that’s really worth one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll come across church buildings with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that experience more like dwelling rooms.
If you obtain trapped in the discussion with another person older, Allow it materialize. That’s wherever the top journey stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was made to be “the proper metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a perspective. Each individual look at website has a breeze.
But it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, typically — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t hurry just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals get their time below, and at some point, so do you.
Trying to find more context on why by doing this of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and here journey in Italy. Definitely worth the study prior to deciding to 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 unanticipated murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. click here Artists Dwell below. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in tiny courtyards. It feels much more like a mood than the usual vacation spot.
Sunsets hit unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything below. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a new piece on gradual journey — how places such as this offer a different style of luxurious. One which doesn’t feature a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it surely benefits people who discover. You stroll the loop and after that walk it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — in a “this basically hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Portion of a preservation task — maintaining the earlier alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this a single. His site talks about honoring position and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s nothing flashy below, which happens to be what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Good
Below’s the thing. You could see Italy in a week. You could strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you ignore it website by following Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different plan. But it surely’s just one we’re ultimately all set to listen to.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for a while. Let Italy come to you.