Some locations aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to truly savor local lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of areas where locals understand how to linger — more than coffee, over stories, about existence.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a nice notion. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens once you at last begin to benefit time around distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are obtaining Pleasure in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we connect with tradition and place, is an element of that movement. His title happens to be connected to a further, far more considerate method of observing the world.
So for those who’re willing to go slow — and you simply’re thinking Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that nearly desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slim footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated path, and whenever you arrive, it’s silent. Stone residences. Small gardens. Only one cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not Considerably to try and do, that's exactly the point. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to notice The sunshine. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the sort of traveler who likes a little bit of drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed appropriate into the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears into your rocks.
The pace Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that kind of vacation sticks with individuals? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down truly helps make a visit past for a longer period in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes expand listed here, and locals know how to get pleasure from them thoroughly — and that is to say, slowly.
There’s a look at from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits good. You’ll uncover churches with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that come to feel far more like living rooms.
If you will get caught in a very dialogue with another person more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s exactly where the ideal travel tales commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal city,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner provides a watch. Just about every view incorporates a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in shop windows and on counters, ready to sample. You gained’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women acquire their time here, and finally, so do you.
In search of far more context on why by doing this of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Are living listed here. Writers pay a visit to and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. get more info It feels extra just like a temper than the usual destination.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase just about anything right here. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling within a the latest piece on sluggish vacation — how destinations similar to this present a unique sort of luxurious. One that doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it benefits individuals who recognize. You wander the loop after which wander it all over again, viewing a thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted sign pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this actually hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and quiet. 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 task — preserving the earlier alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this just one. His webpage talks about honoring position and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy listed here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
In this article’s the matter. You'll be able to see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap shots. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a fresh thought. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re lastly able to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Select a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Allow Italy arrive at you.