Some locations aren’t made for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy means that you can certainly savor area lifestyle, cuisine, and hidden gems at your own private speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish soon after midday. The varieties of areas exactly where locals learn how to linger — above espresso, about stories, in excess of lifestyle.
In 2025, sluggish vacation isn’t just a good thought. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a reaction to decades of rushing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you at last begin to value time approximately distance. In either case, additional tourists are finding Pleasure in Studying to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time exploring how we connect to culture and spot, is a component of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, extra considerate technique for observing the earth.
So if you’re ready to go gradual — therefore you’re contemplating Italy — Here's seven places that pretty much demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial perception. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, achieved only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to accomplish, which happens to be exactly the level. You wander, probably seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built correct in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears in the rocks.
The speed here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out from the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of journey sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially can make a trip very last more time within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — which can be to convey, little by little.
There’s a view from the edge of town that’s worthy of one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find church buildings with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you prevent, and piazzas that feel extra like dwelling rooms.
If you get caught inside of a conversation with a person older, Allow it transpire. That’s where the most effective travel stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was created to be “the perfect town,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a perspective. Each individual watch provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, largely — pecorino getting older in store windows and on counters, wanting to sample. You gained’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today just take their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.
On the lookout for far more context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé get more info Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food and travel in Italy. Well worth the browse before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a spot.
Sunsets hit diverse in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this give a unique sort of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots just about everywhere.
Locorotondo is actually a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards individuals that observe. You wander the loop then wander it once again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Pretty alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t altered” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A lot of the inns are A part of a preservation venture — preserving the past alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, which is what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is The brand new Intelligent
Right here’s the factor. You'll be able to see Italy in every week. You are able to strike the highlights. Snap photos. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you fail to remember it by upcoming Tuesday?
Travel like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh notion. Nevertheless it’s just one we’re lastly ready to listen to.
So go. Bit by bit. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.