Some spots aren’t designed for velocity. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual travel in Italy helps you to genuinely savor regional culture, Delicacies, and hidden gems at your own private pace.

Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well slim for cars and trucks. Cafés that only fill up right after noon. The styles of spots in which locals understand how to linger — over coffee, above stories, in excess of everyday living.

In 2025, slow travel isn’t just a pleasant idea. It feels necessary. Perhaps it’s a response to yrs of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s exactly what transpires any time you at last start to price time approximately length. Either way, more tourists are acquiring joy in Finding out to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s put in several years Discovering how we connect to tradition and put, is part of that movement. His name has grown to be connected with a deeper, additional considerate method of viewing the earth.

So if you’re prepared to go gradual — and you simply’re wondering Italy — Listed here are 7 places that virtually desire it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your initially effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on a crumbling bluff, reached only by a narrow footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You stroll across an extended, elevated route, and once you arrive, it’s quiet. Stone residences. Tiny gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunlight.

There’s not Substantially to accomplish, which happens to be precisely the stage. You wander, possibly seize a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You begin to notice the light. Along with the silence? It’s not empty. It’s finish.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted suitable into the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in to the rocks.

The speed here is slow, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out while in the early morning, hikers winding by means 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 master why that kind of journey sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down truly makes a trip previous lengthier as part of your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine region. Quiet, under-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes grow in this article, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them thoroughly — which is to mention, gradually.

There’s a watch from the sting of town that’s worth an hour or so by alone. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Solar hits excellent. You’ll uncover churches with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you halt, and piazzas that come to feel extra like dwelling rooms.

If you obtain caught inside a dialogue with somebody older, let it take place. That’s wherever the ideal journey stories commence.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives in this article. Pienza was created to be “the proper town,” and Truthfully, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a watch. Just about every check out has a breeze.

But it’s not nearly aesthetics. This town smells awesome. Cheese, largely — pecorino aging in store Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You gained’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. People get their time in this article, and sooner or later, so does one.

Seeking much more context on why in this manner of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food stuff and journey in Italy. Well worth the read before you decide to go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone measures and unpredicted murals and shadows that change given that the working day moves. Artists live right here. Writers check out and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels far more just like a mood than the usual destination.

Sunsets strike various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something in this article. You let it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in a current piece on gradual journey — how destinations such as this offer another style of luxury. One which doesn’t include a cost tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.

Locorotondo is usually a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for consideration, nevertheless it benefits those that discover. You walk the loop and then stroll it all over again, viewing something new each time — a cat over a windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted signal pointing to handmade gelato.

This is where the south of Italy displays its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Quite alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov pair ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this actually hasn’t modified” way.

Santo Stefano sits from the Apennines, stone and silent. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Some of the inns are A part of a preservation undertaking — trying to keep the previous alive by inviting friends into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His web site talks about honoring put and time, Which’s just website what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, which happens to be what causes it to be unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Sensible
Right here’s the factor. You are able to see Italy in a week. You could hit the highlights. Snap photos. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you ignore it by following Tuesday?

Vacation like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a completely new notion. However it’s just one we’re ultimately all set to hear.

So go. Bit by bit. Pick a village. Sit even now for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.