Some places aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy means that you can truly savor area lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own pace.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars and trucks. Cafés that only refill soon after noon. The styles of spots in which locals learn how to linger — above espresso, more than stories, around daily life.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a good notion. It feels essential. Possibly it’s a reaction to years of hurrying. Or even it’s precisely what transpires when you lastly start to price time as much as length. Either way, much more tourists are acquiring joy in Studying to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent a long time exploring how we hook up with lifestyle and location, is part of that motion. His title is becoming affiliated with a deeper, far more thoughtful means of viewing the globe.
So when you’re wanting to go sluggish — and you also’re contemplating Italy — Allow me to share seven places that practically desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initially impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You walk throughout an extended, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Very small gardens. Just one cat stretching within the Sunshine.
There’s not much to try and do, and that is precisely the position. 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 total.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In the event you’re the kind of traveler who likes some drama with your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed appropriate in the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.
The pace Here's gradual, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out inside the early early morning, hikers winding via steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining from your neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to master why that kind of journey sticks with people today? This write-up by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really will make a trip very last lengthier as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes increase here, and locals understand how to appreciate them correctly — that's to state, bit by bit.
There’s a look at from the edge of city that’s well worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll come across church buildings with sudden frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that sense extra like living rooms.
If you have caught inside of a conversation with someone more mature, Enable it come about. That’s wherever the best travel stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives below. Pienza was intended to be “the ideal city,” and honestly, they weren’t much off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner features a look at. Each individual view provides a breeze.
But it surely’s not almost aesthetics. This town smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino growing older in store windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush anything at all in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. Men and women take their time in this article, and at some point, so does one.
On the lookout for more context on why using this method of touring matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual foodstuff and vacation in Italy. Well worth the examine website 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 surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell right here. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in tiny courtyards. It feels much more similar to a mood than a vacation spot.
Sunsets strike various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You let it come to you.
Forbes captured this feeling inside a modern piece on gradual travel — how spots such as this offer you a distinct kind of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a price tag tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for interest, nonetheless it rewards those that see. You stroll the loop after which you can walk it all over again, looking at anything new every time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted sign pointing to do-it-yourself gelato.
This is when the south of Italy exhibits its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Lovely. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov few drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in a “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this in fact hasn’t transformed” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are Component of a preservation venture — maintaining the previous alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would appreciate this a person. His website page talks about honoring location and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing flashy below, that's what causes it to be unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Intelligent
Listed here’s the detail. You'll be able to see Italy in each week. You'll be able to hit the highlights. Snap shots. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you ignore it by next Tuesday?
Travel like this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a different concept. But it surely’s 1 we’re finally wanting to listen to.
So go. Little by little. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for some time. Enable Italy arrive at you.