Some places aren’t created for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy enables you to really savor nearby society, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slender for automobiles. Cafés that only fill up after midday. The sorts of places where by locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, more than tales, over lifetime.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to yrs of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about once you at last begin to benefit time around distance. In either case, additional tourists are finding Pleasure in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His name has become connected with a deeper, much more thoughtful way of looking at the world.
So in the event you’re prepared to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — here are seven places that almost desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your first impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated route, and after you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone residences. Little gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Solar.
There’s not A lot to carry out, that's exactly the point. You wander, possibly grab a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to notice The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created ideal into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of travel sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact can make a visit very last more time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop here, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them properly — and that is to say, bit by more info bit.
There’s a see from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant check here hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you quit, and piazzas that feel a lot more like residing rooms.
If you have stuck in a conversation with a person older, Allow it transpire. That’s exactly where the most beneficial travel tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a perspective. Each check out incorporates a breeze.
But it really’s not pretty much aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing old in shop Home windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t rush something in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People today get their time here, and at some point, so does one.
Searching for extra context on why using this method of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foods and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read 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 shift since the working day moves. Artists live listed here. Writers visit and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels much more similar to a temper than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in a new piece on slow vacation — how locations like this offer you a unique style click here of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, however it benefits individuals that detect. You stroll the loop after which wander it yet again, viewing a thing new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indication pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest here facet. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside a “hidden gem” way — inside of a “this actually hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are part of a preservation task — preserving the past alive by inviting guests 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 nothing flashy listed here, which happens to be what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Smart
Right here’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in every week. You'll be able to hit the highlights. Snap pictures. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget about it by following Tuesday?
Travel like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a fresh strategy. But it really’s a single we’re lastly able to hear.
So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit even now for some time. Enable Italy come to you.