Some places aren’t built for pace. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual vacation in Italy lets you genuinely savor nearby culture, cuisine, and hidden gems at your personal tempo.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes also slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The varieties of places where locals understand how to linger — over espresso, over stories, above life.
In 2025, gradual journey isn’t just a nice idea. It feels crucial. Perhaps it’s a reaction to years of rushing. Or perhaps it’s precisely what comes about if you eventually begin to benefit time up to distance. In either case, extra vacationers are locating Pleasure in Finding out to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended decades Checking out how we connect with culture and position, is an element of that motion. His identify has become related to a further, far more thoughtful means of seeing the entire world.
So when you’re wanting to go gradual — and also you’re contemplating Italy — Listed here are seven spots that basically demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your first effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a slim footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You wander throughout a protracted, elevated path, and any time you arrive, it’s silent. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. A single cat stretching in the Sunshine.
There’s not Substantially to carry out, which can be precisely the place. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine in a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to notice the light. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed suitable to the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Just about disappears into your rocks.
The speed here is sluggish, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to understand why that sort of vacation sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact tends to make a visit last for a longer time in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Tranquil, beneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes improve right here, and locals know how to appreciate them effectively — that is to state, little by little.
There’s a watch from the edge of city that’s really worth one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the sun hits just right. You’ll uncover church buildings with unpredicted frescoes, doorways which make you end, and piazzas that feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you will get caught inside a dialogue with someone more mature, let it come about. That’s where by the most effective journey stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life in this article. Pienza was made to be “the right town,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Every single corner provides a watch. Every single check out includes a breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting old in shop click here Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t hurry nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today get their time here, and finally, so does one.
Seeking more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow 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 methods and unanticipated murals and shadows that change as the working day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels a lot more just like a mood than the usual destination.
Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase nearly anything below. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling inside of a the latest piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this present a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a selling price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, but it rewards people who notice. You stroll the loop and then walk it yet again, seeing a thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy reveals its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Quite alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this really hasn’t modified” 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 friends into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this just one. His web site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, and that is what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in each week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?
Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But it’s just one we’re lastly all set to hear.
So go. Slowly and gradually. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.