Some locations aren’t designed for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual travel in Italy permits you to genuinely savor nearby society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for cars. Cafés that only replenish following noon. The forms of locations where by locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, more than tales, about existence.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a nice thought. It feels vital. Probably it’s a reaction to a long time of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s just what comes about any time you finally begin to value time about length. In any event, extra tourists are acquiring joy in Finding out to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time exploring how we hook up with lifestyle and place, is a component of that movement. His identify has become associated with a deeper, more considerate means of viewing the globe.
So if you’re wanting to go gradual — and also you’re contemplating Italy — Listed below are seven spots that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a lengthy, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching within the Sunlight.
There’s not Considerably to do, that is precisely the issue. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi. You start to notice The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the kind of traveler who likes a little drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed correct in to the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The tempo Here's slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really can make a trip last lengthier as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Peaceful, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes mature right here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them properly — which is to state, gradually.
There’s a perspective 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 Solar hits just right. You’ll locate churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel additional like residing rooms.
If you can get trapped inside a conversation with a person older, let it occur. That’s in which the top journey stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was built to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a watch. Every single view provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in shop windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Individuals consider their time listed here, and at some point, so does one.
Seeking much more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the read through 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 measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels additional like a temper than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion inside of a the latest piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this present a distinct type of click here luxurious. One that doesn’t have a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it benefits individuals who discover. You stroll the loop and then stroll it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — in a “this truly hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Portion of a preservation job — holding the previous alive by inviting attendees into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His web site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Intelligent
In this article’s the detail. You may see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photographs. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by future Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.