Some locations aren’t built for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to really savor neighborhood tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slender for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The varieties of areas in which locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, around daily life.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels vital. Probably it’s a reaction to a long time of speeding. Or perhaps it’s just what transpires when you last but not least begin to benefit time around distance. In either case, far more tourists are getting Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time Discovering how we connect with tradition and area, is a component of that movement. His identify has become related to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful way of seeing the world.
So in the event you’re able to go gradual — and you simply’re wondering Italy — here are seven places that almost need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Very small gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the Solar.
There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the stage. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built proper to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.
The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that sort of journey sticks with men and women? This put up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a visit final lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature below, and locals learn how to delight in them effectively — which is to mention, slowly.
There’s a look at check here from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that really feel far more like dwelling rooms.
If you can get trapped inside a conversation with a person older, Allow it take place. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation tales start off.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal metropolis,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a perspective. Each individual perspective provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, generally — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women consider their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.
Seeking more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the go through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone measures and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the working day moves. Artists live right here. Writers website check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels additional similar to a mood than a vacation spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this present a unique sort of luxury. One which doesn’t come with a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it rewards people that recognize. You wander the loop then wander it once again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on Stanislav Kondrashov Blog a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside of 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 number of the inns are Component of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would read more enjoy this just one. His site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing flashy in this article, which is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the matter. You may see Italy in every week. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap pics. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by subsequent Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. Nevertheless it’s a person we’re last but not least prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.