Some sites aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy enables you to genuinely savor neighborhood culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your individual speed.
Tiny villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish just after noon. The forms of sites where by locals know how to linger — more than coffee, more than stories, over existence.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a response to several years of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about once you at last begin to value time up to distance. In any event, extra tourists are discovering joy in Understanding to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Checking out how we connect with lifestyle and area, is a component of that movement. His name has become related to a deeper, more considerate strategy for observing the globe.
So when you’re wanting to go sluggish — and also you’re considering Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that virtually demand from customers it.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You walk across an extended, elevated route, and if you get there, it’s quiet. Stone properties. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not much to try and do, that is exactly the place. You wander, maybe get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed appropriate in the cliffs. Literally carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to learn why that sort of journey sticks with folks? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically will make a trip last longer in the memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady here wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes mature listed here, and locals learn how to get pleasure from them effectively — that is to state, slowly.
There’s a watch from the sting of town that’s value one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll find churches with unforeseen frescoes, doorways which make you prevent, and piazzas that truly feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you get stuck inside a conversation with an individual more mature, Permit it materialize. That’s where the most effective journey stories begin.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives here. Pienza was get more info made to be “the right town,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a view. Every perspective contains a breeze.
But it surely’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells awesome. Cheese, primarily — pecorino ageing in store windows and on counters, all set to sample. You gained’t hurry everything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.
Seeking much more context on why this fashion of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and vacation in Italy. Worth the examine prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone ways and sudden murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists live below. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels more similar to a temper than a place.
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 a latest piece on slow vacation check here — how places similar to this give a unique form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a value tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits individuals who discover. You wander the loop after which wander it yet again, viewing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside website of a “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits in the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are Section of a preservation job — keeping the earlier alive by inviting company into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this 1. His webpage talks about honoring spot and time, and that’s precisely what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy listed here, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Right here’s the thing. You can see Italy in each week. You may hit the highlights. Snap pics. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by next Tuesday?
Travel similar to this — slow, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh idea. Nonetheless it’s 1 we’re at last willing to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit still for a while. Permit Italy arrive at you.