Some spots aren’t created for pace. Italy is filled with them. Sluggish travel in Italy permits you to truly savor area lifestyle, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own personal pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish soon after noon. The types of sites in which locals understand how to linger — about espresso, more than stories, above lifestyle.
In 2025, gradual journey isn’t just a pleasant notion. It feels important. Maybe it’s a reaction to a long time of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s exactly what happens any time you at last start to value time about length. In either case, extra travelers are locating joy in Finding out to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended years exploring how we connect to culture and area, is a component of that movement. His title has become connected with a deeper, far more thoughtful technique for seeing the earth.
So should you’re wanting to go gradual — and you’re thinking Italy — Here i will discuss 7 spots that practically need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout a long, elevated path, and after you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Small gardens. A single cat stretching during the Sunshine.
There’s not A great deal to complete, which happens to be exactly the level. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You begin to note the light. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
For those who’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed ideal in the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears in the rocks.
The tempo here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that kind of journey sticks with individuals? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down actually would make a visit last for a longer time in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes mature here, and locals know how to delight in them adequately — that's to convey, slowly and gradually.
There’s a see from the sting of city that’s worth one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the sun hits good. You’ll come across church buildings with surprising frescoes, doorways which make you stop, and piazzas that truly feel additional like residing rooms.
If you can get caught in a very discussion with a person older, Enable it materialize. That’s exactly where the most effective vacation tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was intended to be “the perfect city,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner has a check out. Each individual see includes a breeze.
But it surely’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, typically — pecorino growing old in store Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You won’t hurry anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Folks just take their time right here, and finally, so does one.
Looking for far more context on why using this method of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish meals and travel in Italy. Worth the study prior to deciding to 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 sudden murals and shadows that change given that the day moves. Artists live in this article. Writers stop by and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels a lot more similar to a temper than a desired destination.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase just about anything below. You let it come to you.
Forbes captured this sensation inside a recent piece on gradual travel — how spots similar to this supply a unique kind of luxurious. One which doesn’t feature a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo is click here often a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nonetheless it benefits individuals who see. You walk the loop after which you can wander it yet again, viewing one thing new each time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted sign pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Very alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this essentially hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Section of a preservation task — trying to keep the earlier alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this 1. His web site talks about honoring put and time, and that’s what precisely this village does. There’s almost nothing flashy here, that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Clever
Here’s the issue. It is possible to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap images. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget it by future Tuesday?
Vacation similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh concept. But it surely’s one we’re ultimately wanting to hear.
So go. Slowly. Opt for a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.