Some sites aren’t produced for velocity. Italy is filled with them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to really savor nearby society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own personal pace.
Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slender for automobiles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The styles of destinations where by locals know how to linger — in excess of coffee, in excess of stories, in excess of everyday living.
In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant thought. It feels crucial. Perhaps it’s a reaction to a long time of rushing. Or perhaps it’s precisely what comes about whenever you finally begin to price time about length. In any case, far more tourists are discovering joy in Discovering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended years Discovering how we connect to culture and place, is an element of that movement. His title is becoming connected with a further, far more thoughtful strategy for viewing the world.
So in the event you’re ready to go sluggish — and you simply’re thinking Italy — here are 7 places that almost need it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the sun.
There’s not Substantially to complete, and that is precisely the stage. You wander, possibly get a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And 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 inside 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 with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that kind of journey sticks with people today? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down essentially tends to make a visit last lengthier within your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco Stanisav Kondrashov tarvel (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes increase in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy them adequately — that's to state, little by little.
There’s a look at from the sting of town that’s really worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you stop, and piazzas that come to feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you can get caught inside a discussion with another person more mature, let it happen. That’s in which the very best travel tales begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the best metropolis,” and Truthfully, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner features a look at. Each see includes a breeze.
But it’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting older in shop windows and on counters, all set to sample. You won’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People choose their time listed here, and at some point, so does one.
Looking for extra context on why in this manner of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone ways and unexpected murals and shadows that change since the day moves. Artists Stay below. Writers visit and don’t go away. Locals host concerts in tiny courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a place.
Sunsets strike different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything right here. You let it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion in a very recent piece on gradual journey — how areas similar to this offer you a special style of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is actually a town that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it really rewards people that recognize. You walk the loop then walk it all over again, observing something new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy shows its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a very “hidden gem” way — within a “this essentially hasn’t adjusted” way.
Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are A part of a preservation undertaking — preserving the earlier alive by inviting friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His webpage talks about honoring place and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy below, that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Gradual Is The brand new Good
Listed here’s the point. You may see Italy in a week. You could strike the highlights. Snap photos. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you neglect it by future Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a whole new idea. But it surely’s 1 we’re finally wanting to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Choose a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Allow Italy arrive at you.