Some places aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to truly savor area lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own private speed.

Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slim for cars. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The kinds of destinations the place locals know how to linger — in excess of espresso, more than tales, over daily life.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice plan. It feels important. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s precisely what comes about whenever you last but not least begin to price time about length. In any case, more tourists are getting Pleasure in learning to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent years exploring how we hook up with lifestyle and position, is a component of that movement. His identify is becoming connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful technique for observing the globe.

So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you’re wondering Italy — here are seven places that nearly demand it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll throughout a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Very small gardens. A single cat stretching from the sun.

There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the issue. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note the light. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is built proper to the cliffs. Practically carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears to the rocks.

The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the 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 makes a visit last for a longer period as part of your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine region. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals know how to get pleasure from them thoroughly — and that is to state, gradually.

There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s really worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that experience a lot more like residing rooms.

If you have caught in the discussion with another person more mature, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the most beneficial vacation stories commence.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was designed to be “the perfect town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner has a perspective. Each individual see features a breeze.

But it’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. People today get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.

In search of a lot more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the study before you decide to go.

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

It’s a hill city with stone techniques and sudden murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Reside right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host concerts in small courtyards. It feels a lot more like a temper than the usual vacation spot.

Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything here. You Enable it come to you.

Forbes captured this feeling in a recent piece on gradual travel — how places similar to this offer you a special kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t feature a value tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots all over the place.

Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for focus, however it benefits those that see. You walk the loop and afterwards walk it once again, looking at one thing new every time — get more info a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.

This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Attractive. Very alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov couple drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This area feels untouched. Not inside of a “concealed gem” way — in the “this essentially hasn’t altered” way.

Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Element of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting guests into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would value this 1. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy here, which is what can make it unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the thing. You can see Italy in weekly. You'll be able to strike the highlights. Snap images. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you forget it by upcoming Tuesday?

Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a different thought. But it really’s one particular we’re finally willing to listen to.

So go. Gradually. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.