Some sites aren’t made for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual travel in Italy lets you really savor nearby society, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your own personal pace.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slender for automobiles. Cafés that only refill immediately after noon. The forms of areas exactly where locals understand how to linger — about espresso, around stories, more than lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a good plan. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to a long time of speeding. Or possibly it’s precisely what comes about any time you ultimately start to benefit time about length. In either case, additional tourists are obtaining Pleasure in Finding out to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Discovering how we connect to tradition and position, is a component of that movement. His title is now linked to a deeper, much more considerate means of seeing the planet.
So should you’re ready to go sluggish — so you’re contemplating Italy — Listed below are seven places that nearly demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander throughout a lengthy, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone residences. Small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Solar.
There’s not A lot to try and do, which is exactly the stage. You wander, maybe seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the sort of traveler who likes some drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted proper into your cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in the rocks.
The speed Here's slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of travel sticks with folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down in fact makes a trip previous more time with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals learn how to enjoy them effectively — which is to say, bit by bit.
There’s a see from the sting of city that’s worth one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll locate churches with unexpected frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that truly feel extra like living rooms.
If you get trapped in a dialogue with an individual more mature, Enable it happen. That’s wherever the top travel stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was made to be “the ideal town,” more info and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every corner incorporates a perspective. Each and every look at contains a breeze.
But it surely’s click here not nearly aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, largely — pecorino growing older in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People today choose their time below, and sooner or later, so do you.
Looking for far more context on why this way of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foodstuff and travel in Italy. Well worth the read before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and surprising murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Stay in this article. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in tiny courtyards. It feels additional just like a temper than a desired destination.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience inside of a the latest piece on slow journey — how spots similar to this offer you a different sort of luxurious. website One that doesn’t have a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it really benefits people that recognize. You walk the loop then walk it all over again, seeing some thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not inside a “concealed gem” way — in a very “this truly hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits within 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 task — trying to keep the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Clever
Right here’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in every week. You can hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by future Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded here — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new notion. But it really’s just one we’re lastly wanting to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit nonetheless for some time. Let Italy come to you.