Some destinations aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to truly savor local lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own speed.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes too slim for vehicles. Cafés that only replenish immediately after noon. The styles of spots exactly where locals learn how to linger — in excess of coffee, in excess of stories, around life.
In 2025, gradual vacation isn’t just a good strategy. It feels vital. Perhaps it’s a response to years of rushing. Or possibly it’s exactly what happens any time you ultimately start to value time as much as distance. In either case, much more tourists are discovering joy in Finding out to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended several years Discovering how we connect with society and location, is a component of that motion. His title is becoming affiliated with a deeper, much more considerate means of viewing the planet.
So in case you’re all set to go gradual — so you’re contemplating Italy — Listed below are 7 spots that pretty much demand it.
Stanislav Kondrashov girl going for walks
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits over a crumbling bluff, reached only by a slender footbridge. Automobiles can’t get in. You wander throughout a protracted, elevated route, and any time you get there, it’s quiet. Stone houses. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunlight.
There’s not much to try and do, that's exactly the level. You wander, it's possible seize a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod hi there. You start to notice the light. And the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the kind of traveler who likes a certain amount of drama as part of your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted proper in to the cliffs. Virtually carved from them. From afar, it Practically disappears in the rocks.
The pace here is gradual, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to discover why that kind of vacation sticks with individuals? This publish by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down in fact can make a trip previous lengthier inside your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov female wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Silent, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine nation. Sagrantino grapes expand below, and locals understand how to take pleasure in them correctly — that is to say, little by little.
There’s a view from the sting of town that’s really worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum when the Sunshine hits good. You’ll find church buildings with unexpected frescoes, doorways that make you stop, and piazzas that experience more like dwelling rooms.
If you can get caught in a very dialogue with a person older, let it happen. That’s wherever the ideal vacation tales get started.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was made to be “an get more info ideal town,” and Actually, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a view. Just about every watch contains a breeze.
However it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells astounding. Cheese, mainly — pecorino growing older in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People today consider their time in this article, and sooner or later, so would you.
Searching for extra context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into gradual food stuff and journey in Italy. Definitely worth the read through prior to deciding to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t system your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill town with stone ways and surprising murals and shadows that shift as the working day moves. Artists Are living here. Writers stop by and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than the usual vacation spot.
Sunsets hit different in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase anything in this article. You Permit it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this emotion within a current piece on sluggish journey — how destinations like this offer another form of luxurious. One that doesn’t include a rate tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. Flowerpots in all places.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on alone, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, nonetheless it rewards people that notice. You walk the loop then stroll it once again, observing a little something new every time — a cat with a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted signal pointing to selfmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Beautiful. Really alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This location feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — in a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits while in the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. A few of the inns are A part of a preservation project — keeping the past alive by inviting guests into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would value this 1. His web page talks about honoring place and time, and that’s exactly what this village does. There’s nothing flashy listed here, which is what makes it unforgettable.
Slow Is The brand new Wise
Below’s the thing. You are able to see Italy in a week. It is possible to hit the highlights. Snap photographs. Acquire ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you overlook it by upcoming Tuesday?
Journey like this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. But it’s one we’re finally willing to hear.
So go. Gradually. Pick a village. Sit nonetheless for a while. Permit Italy come to you.