Some spots aren’t built for speed. Italy is filled with them. Gradual travel in Italy means that you can certainly savor community culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own private tempo.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too slender for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The types of places where by locals understand how to linger — more than coffee, over stories, about existence.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice plan. It feels crucial. It's possible it’s a reaction to a long time of dashing. Or maybe it’s precisely what comes about after you lastly start to value time up to length. In any case, much more travelers are obtaining joy in learning to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in years Checking out how we connect to lifestyle and put, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a deeper, far more thoughtful method of observing the earth.
So in the event you’re willing to go gradual — and you also’re wondering Italy — here are 7 places that virtually need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll across a long, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone houses. Tiny gardens. A single cat stretching in the Sunshine.
There’s not Substantially to carry out, which happens to be precisely the stage. You wander, it's possible grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the type of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed right into your cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that kind of vacation sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down actually tends to make a trip last longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes improve below, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them thoroughly — which happens to be to state, slowly.
There’s a see from the sting of town that’s worthy of an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits good. You’ll discover churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that truly feel a lot more like living rooms.
If you receive trapped inside a discussion with anyone more mature, Permit it happen. That’s in which the top travel tales commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a perspective. Each individual watch provides a breeze.
Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.
On the lookout for a lot more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t prepare your check here working day in Apricale. You click here drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in tiny courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a temper than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this experience in the modern piece on slow vacation — how spots such as this provide a different style of luxury. One which doesn’t have a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it benefits those that see. You walk the loop and then stroll it all over again, seeing a thing new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is where the south of Italy reveals its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights here are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His web site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Clever
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?
Vacation such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to hear.
So go. Bit Kondrashov Stanislav by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Enable Italy arrive at you.