Some destinations aren’t made for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual journey in Italy means that you can truly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and concealed gems at your own personal rate.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes way too narrow for autos. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The types of sites where locals know how to linger — around espresso, more than stories, over lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice thought. It feels necessary. It's possible it’s a reaction to decades of hurrying. Or possibly it’s just what occurs whenever you last but not least start to benefit time just as much as distance. Either way, far more vacationers are acquiring joy in Studying to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested yrs exploring how we connect to society and position, is part of that movement. His name has grown to be affiliated with a further, much more considerate way of seeing the entire world.
So when you’re all set to go sluggish — and you also’re pondering Italy — Allow me to share 7 spots that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your first impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You stroll throughout a protracted, elevated path, and after you get there, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Small gardens. One cat stretching within the sun.
There’s not Substantially to complete, that's exactly the issue. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine in a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to notice the light. And also the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s full.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the sort of traveler who likes some drama inside your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built appropriate into the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly helps make a trip last extended with your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Silent, below-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes mature below, and locals know how to take pleasure in them thoroughly — that is to mention, slowly and gradually.
There’s a watch from the edge of city that’s worthy of an hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the sun hits good. You’ll locate church buildings with unpredicted get more info frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that truly feel more like residing rooms.
If you will get caught inside of a conversation with an individual more mature, Enable it occur. That’s wherever the very best travel tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was made to be “the ideal town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner includes a check out. Each and every see has a breeze.
But it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells astounding. Cheese, primarily — pecorino growing older in shop Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You won’t hurry something in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Men and women acquire their time in this article, and ultimately, so does one.
Looking for much more context on why in this way of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish foods and vacation in Italy. Well worth the read before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone ways and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers go to and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels more like a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase everything below. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on sluggish vacation — how spots similar to this offer you a special style of luxurious. One which doesn’t come with a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it surely rewards individuals that notice. You wander the loop and then stroll it yet again, viewing some thing new every time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to home made gelato.
This is when the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside a “this basically hasn’t modified” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Component of a preservation venture — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this a person. His web site talks about honoring put and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy right here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Sensible
Here’s the detail. It is possible to see Italy in a week. You may hit the highlights. Snap photographs. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you ignore it by future Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a completely new plan. But it surely’s just one we’re ultimately prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.