Some areas aren’t made for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual vacation in Italy allows you to genuinely savor nearby culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own personal pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish right after noon. The kinds of places where locals learn how to linger — in excess of coffee, more than stories, over lifetime.
In 2025, gradual journey isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels important. Perhaps it’s a reaction to decades of rushing. Or possibly it’s just what comes about if you eventually start to worth time up to length. In either case, much more tourists are discovering joy in Understanding to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested years Discovering how we connect to society and place, is an element of that motion. His name happens to be linked to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful way of observing the earth.
So if you’re all set to go slow — and also you’re wondering Italy — Allow me to share seven spots that virtually desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and when you get there, it’s silent. Stone houses. Small gardens. One cat stretching from the sun.
There’s not Substantially to try and do, and that is exactly the place. You wander, perhaps seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You begin to notice The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed appropriate into the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears to the rocks.
The tempo here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that kind of journey sticks with men and women? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down truly would make a visit final for a longer period within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes mature here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them properly — which can be to convey, gradually.
There’s a check out from the sting of city that’s truly worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunlight hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that really feel far more like living rooms.
If you obtain trapped within a discussion with anyone older, let it happen. That’s in which the best travel tales start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life below. Pienza was built to be “the perfect city,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner has a see. Just about every view provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, typically — pecorino aging in store Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women just take their time in this article, and inevitably, so would you.
Searching for more context on why in this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food stuff and travel in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the working day moves. Artists Are living listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t depart. Locals host concert events in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a temper than the usual vacation spot.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything listed here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling inside of a the latest piece on sluggish vacation — how spots like this offer you a special style of luxurious. One which doesn’t come with a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is usually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and more info compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it rewards people who discover. You walk the loop after which walk it once more, viewing one thing new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to homemade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — inside of a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation venture — holding the previous alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this 1. His page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy in this article, which is what makes it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the point. It is possible to see Italy in weekly. You could hit the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different strategy. Nonetheless it’s one we’re last but not least all set to hear.
So go. Gradually. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.