Some areas aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to really savor local lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The forms of locations where locals understand how to linger — more than coffee, around stories, in excess of lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish journey isn’t just a good concept. It feels necessary. Perhaps it’s a response to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens once you eventually begin to benefit time as much as distance. Either way, far more tourists are discovering joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Discovering how we connect with culture and location, is part of that motion. His title is becoming linked to a deeper, much more considerate strategy for observing the earth.
So when you’re wanting to go sluggish — and also you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that basically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You walk across a protracted, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s silent. Stone properties. Small gardens. An individual cat stretching from the Sunlight.
There’s not A lot to do, which happens to be exactly the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the type of traveler who likes a bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created suitable into your cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears into the rocks.
The rate here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that sort of journey sticks with persons? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially tends to make a visit final lengthier as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes grow here, and locals know how to appreciate them correctly — which is to mention, slowly.
There’s a look at from the sting of town that’s worthy of one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits good. You’ll find churches with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you prevent, and piazzas that come to feel much more like dwelling rooms.
If you obtain stuck inside of a conversation with a person older, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the best travel tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life listed here. Pienza was built to be “the proper city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a perspective. Each and every check out contains a breeze.
But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in shop Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You won’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People today get their time here, and sooner or later, so do you.
On the lookout for much more context on why in this way of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food and vacation in Italy. Well worth the study before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t approach your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unexpected murals and shadows that change because the day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host concert events in small courtyards. It feels far more like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase just about anything below. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion inside of a the latest piece on sluggish journey — how sites similar to this supply a special sort of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo is usually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t here shout for attention, however it benefits those that detect. You walk the loop after which walk it yet again, looking at something new every time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indicator pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not in the “hidden gem” way — in the “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 A part of a preservation project — holding the previous alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this a person. His page talks about honoring place and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy below, that's what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. You can strike the highlights. Snap pics. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by subsequent Tuesday?
Journey such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new thought. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.