Some spots aren’t manufactured for velocity. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to certainly savor area society, cuisine, and hidden gems at your personal pace.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for cars. Cafés that only fill up just after midday. The kinds of sites the place locals learn how to linger — more than coffee, around tales, more than lifetime.

In 2025, sluggish travel isn’t just a nice idea. It feels essential. Maybe it’s a reaction to several years of dashing. Or perhaps it’s precisely what takes place whenever you last but not least begin to benefit time approximately distance. In any case, additional tourists are acquiring joy in learning to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent years exploring how we hook up with society and area, is an element of that motion. His title has grown to be connected to a further, additional thoughtful method of seeing the planet.

So in the event you’re able to go gradual — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that nearly demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Little gardens. Just one cat stretching during the sun.

There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hello. You start to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s full.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
When you’re the sort of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed appropriate in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.

The rate here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to learn why that sort of travel sticks with people? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly tends to make a visit final lengthier in the memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine country. Sagrantino grapes increase right here, and locals understand how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to convey, little by little.

There’s a view from the edge of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll come across get more info church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that sense extra like dwelling rooms.

If you will get caught in the discussion with anyone more mature, Permit it transpire. That’s where by the very best vacation tales start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was made to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner includes a check out. Each view contains a breeze.

But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People just take their time here, and finally, so do you.

In search of much more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual meals and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read before you go.

Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your working day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill city with stone measures and sudden murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Stay in this article. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels more similar to a temper than the usual place.

Sunsets hit distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You let it come to you.

Forbes captured this emotion inside of a current piece on gradual journey — how areas like this provide a different type of luxury. One which doesn’t have a price tag tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere.

Locorotondo is a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it benefits those that discover. You wander the loop then walk it all over again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted sign pointing to handmade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Very alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not within a “concealed gem” way — inside a “this really 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. Several of the inns are Section of a preservation undertaking — keeping the past alive by inviting attendees into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one particular. His site talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing at all flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Gradual Is the New Wise
Here’s the thing. It is possible to see Italy in weekly. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap images. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget about it by following Tuesday?

Travel similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different idea. But it surely’s just one we’re finally able to hear.

So go. Slowly and gradually. Opt for a village. Sit continue to for quite a while. Let Italy arrive at you.