Some areas aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy allows you to truly savor local society, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own speed.

Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after midday. The varieties of areas exactly where locals learn how to linger — more than espresso, over stories, around existence.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a nice plan. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to many years of dashing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens if you at last start to value time approximately distance. In either case, additional tourists are getting Pleasure in Understanding to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in yrs Discovering how we connect with tradition and spot, is part of that motion. His identify is becoming connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful technique for observing the earth.

So when you’re willing to go slow — and also you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that basically need it.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your initially impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander across a protracted, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s quiet. Stone homes. Little gardens. A single cat stretching from the sun.

There’s not Considerably to do, that's precisely the point. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to note The sunshine. And the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s total.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
In case you’re the type of traveler who likes a little bit of drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is developed ideal into your cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Virtually disappears into your rocks.

The tempo here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding through steep trails, and also the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to know why that kind of journey sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov clarifies how slowing down really can make a trip very last more time within your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes mature in this article, and locals understand how to appreciate them correctly — which happens to be to say, bit by bit.

There’s a look at from the sting of town that’s truly worth an hour or so by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Solar hits excellent. You’ll find church buildings with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that experience more like residing rooms.

If you get caught in a discussion with another person older, Allow it come about. That’s exactly where the most effective vacation stories start off.

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

Nonetheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You received’t rush just about anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time right here, and inevitably, so do you.

In search of a lot more context on why this fashion of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish click here food items and travel in Italy. Worth the read through prior to deciding to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that shift because the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in little courtyards. It feels additional similar to a mood than a 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 arrive at you.

Forbes captured this sensation inside a current piece on slow journey — how spots like this offer another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a price tag.

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

Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits people who notice. You stroll the loop and then stroll it again, viewing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted sign pointing to home made gelato.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov couple consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This position feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — inside a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.

Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Component of a preservation challenge — 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 exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy right here, that is what can make it unforgettable.

Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in per week. You can hit the highlights. Snap pictures. 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 what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s just one we’re ultimately prepared to hear.

So go. Slowly but surely. Select a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.