Some sites aren’t produced for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual vacation in Italy permits you to genuinely savor nearby culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your very own tempo.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The kinds of destinations wherever locals understand how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, around lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels necessary. Maybe it’s a response to years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what occurs after you ultimately start to price time as much as distance. Either way, far more vacationers are getting Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that movement. His identify happens to be associated with a further, additional considerate technique for observing the whole world.
So if you’re ready to go gradual — therefore you’re contemplating Italy — Here's seven places that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your very first impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You stroll throughout a long, elevated path, and after you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching during the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to perform, that is exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. 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 within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is created ideal into your cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears to the rocks.
The tempo here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, and the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with persons? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a visit final lengthier in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, beneath-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes grow below, and locals know how to delight in them effectively — which is to mention, gradually.
There’s a watch from the sting of city that’s well worth one hour by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunlight hits good. You’ll obtain church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you end, and piazzas that feel much more like living rooms.
If you have caught in a very dialogue with someone more mature, Enable it happen. That’s in which the best travel tales start.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives below. Pienza was designed to be “the best metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner contains a watch. Each and every view provides a breeze.
However it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, mostly — pecorino getting old in shop Home windows and on counters, able to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Folks consider their time right here, and eventually, so does one.
Seeking more context on why in this manner of touring issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Definitely worth the go through before you go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone actions and unpredicted more info murals and shadows that change because the day moves. Artists Reside listed here. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a destination.
Sunsets hit various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all right here. You Permit it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a modern piece on slow travel — how spots such as this give a different form of luxury. One that doesn’t have a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots all over the place.
Locorotondo is really a city that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, nonetheless it rewards people who discover. You stroll the loop and after that walk it again, viewing a little something new each time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio get more info (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not get more info in a very “hidden gem” way — in a very “this really hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits during the Apennines, stone and quiet. 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 task — retaining the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would recognize this one. His website page talks about honoring put and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, that is what can make it unforgettable.
Slow Is the New Clever
Here’s the issue. You may see Italy in every week. You are able to hit the highlights. Snap photographs. Collect ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you forget it by subsequent Tuesday?
Travel similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not get more info a new idea. But it really’s a single we’re lastly willing to hear.
So go. Gradually. Select a village. Sit continue to for some time. Let Italy arrive at you.