Some areas aren’t built for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to certainly savor community lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own private speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The styles of destinations the place locals learn how to linger — in excess of espresso, above tales, over lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to yrs of hurrying. Or maybe it’s precisely what transpires whenever you last but not least begin to price time as much as length. Either way, much more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s used many years exploring how we hook up with society and place, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful way of looking at the whole world.
So if you’re prepared to go gradual — therefore you’re imagining Italy — Allow me to share seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to try and do, which happens to be exactly the position. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to notice The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed correct into the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially 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, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals know how to love them appropriately — that is to state, little by little.
There’s a perspective from the sting of city that’s well worth one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll come across church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience much more like residing rooms.
If you obtain trapped inside of a dialogue with someone older, Enable it happen. That’s exactly where the top journey stories start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the best town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a see. Every perspective contains a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You won’t rush something in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Individuals choose their time listed here, and ultimately, so would you.
Looking for much more context on why in this way of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow 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 as the working day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and read more blue. You don’t chase just about anything in this article. You Enable it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this sensation 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 partitions. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it benefits those that see. You stroll the loop and then stroll it all over again, seeing a little something new each time — a cat on the 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. Stunning. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “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 Section of a preservation challenge — keeping the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this a single. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy below, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in each week. You may 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 — 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 ready to hear.
So go. Bit by bit. Select a village. Sit however for a while. Let Italy come to you.