Some places aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to certainly savor community tradition, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for autos. Cafés that only fill up following midday. The sorts of places where by locals know how to linger — around coffee, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels crucial. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of speeding. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you eventually begin to benefit time as much as distance. Either way, a lot more vacationers are acquiring Pleasure in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent a long time exploring how we connect to society and place, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a deeper, far more thoughtful way of seeing the world.
So if you’re ready to go gradual — and you simply’re imagining Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. One cat stretching inside the Sunshine.
There’s not A lot to carry out, that is precisely the point. You wander, possibly grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted correct in to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into the rocks.
The rate Here's slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of travel sticks with people today? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down in fact would make a trip past for a longer period inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes improve listed here, and locals understand how to love them correctly — which is to convey, bit by bit.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll come across church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you cease, and piazzas that sense more like living rooms.
If you receive stuck within a discussion with an individual older, Allow it take place. That’s the place the ideal journey stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was meant to be “the right town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each and every corner includes a see. Each view contains a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.
Searching for additional context on why in this way of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t strategy your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone actions and unpredicted murals and shadows that change as being the working day moves. Artists Stay in this article. Writers visit and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels more similar to a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something here. You Enable it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on sluggish travel — how locations similar to this offer you a distinct kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is often a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, but it rewards those who detect. You wander the loop then wander it once more, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to handmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Wonderful. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are A part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His site talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s read more practically nothing flashy listed here, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
Listed here’s the point. You are able to see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by up coming Tuesday?
Vacation like this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a whole new idea. But it surely’s 1 we’re eventually able to hear.
So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit however for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.