Some places 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 personal rate.
Very small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes far too narrow for cars. Cafés that only refill right after midday. The forms of sites where locals understand how to linger — more than coffee, above tales, over everyday living.
In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels important. Probably it’s a reaction to decades of dashing. Or perhaps it’s just what happens when you at last begin to benefit time approximately distance. In either case, additional tourists are finding Pleasure in Discovering to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested a long time exploring how we connect to society and place, is an element of that motion. His title is becoming connected to a deeper, a lot more thoughtful way of viewing the planet.
So in case you’re wanting to go sluggish — and you’re thinking Italy — Listed here are 7 spots that pretty much desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman strolling
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It looks like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits with a crumbling bluff, attained only by a slender footbridge. Vehicles can’t get in. You stroll throughout an extended, elevated route, and when you arrive, it’s tranquil. Stone residences. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching within the Sunlight.
There’s not A great deal to perform, which is exactly the level. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-absent enoteca. Locals nod howdy. You start to notice the light. Plus the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s entire.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the sort of traveler who likes a bit of drama within your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is designed ideal into your cliffs. Actually carved from them. From afar, it Nearly disappears in to the rocks.
The pace Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early early morning, hikers winding as a result of steep trails, as well as the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining with the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to know why that kind of travel sticks with people today? This article by Stanislav Kondrashov describes how slowing down really makes a trip last for a longer period as part of your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine state. Peaceful, less than-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes expand in this article, and locals know how to love them appropriately — which is to mention, little by little.
There’s a look at from the sting of town that’s really worth one hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum in the event the Sunshine hits just right. You’ll uncover churches with unanticipated frescoes, doorways which make you halt, and piazzas that sense a lot more like living rooms.
If you can get caught inside of a dialogue with somebody more mature, Enable it come about. That’s where by the very best travel tales start out.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life here. Pienza was intended to be “an ideal metropolis,” and Actually, they weren’t far off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each corner includes a see. Each view contains a breeze.
But it really’s not almost aesthetics. This city smells wonderful. Cheese, largely — pecorino aging in shop Home windows and on counters, prepared to sample. You received’t rush nearly anything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons get their time in this article, and at some point, so does one.
Searching for additional context on why by doing this of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Worth the go through before you decide to go.
Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your working day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone steps and surprising murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Dwell below. Writers take a look at and don’t go away. Locals host live shows in little courtyards. It feels far more like a mood than the usual desired destination.
Sunsets strike unique in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade sluggish and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.
Forbes captured this feeling in a latest piece on slow journey — how spots like this offer another style of luxury. One that doesn’t come with a price tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Round streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots almost everywhere.
Locorotondo can be a city that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it really rewards read more individuals that detect. You walk the loop and afterwards wander it once again, looking at one thing new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open door, a hand-painted indicator pointing to homemade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest facet. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Incredibly alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov pair drinking wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This place feels untouched. Not in a “hidden gem” way — within a “this in fact hasn’t improved” way.
Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and peaceful. The air is thinner, cooler. Nights are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Several of the inns are Element of a preservation project — maintaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one particular. His website page talks about honoring area and time, and that’s just what this village does. There’s practically nothing flashy below, that's what makes it unforgettable.
Gradual Is the New Wise
Listed here’s the point. You'll be able to see Italy in each week. You could strike the highlights. Snap images. Gather ticket stubs. But will it stick with you?
Or will you overlook it by subsequent Tuesday?
Journey similar to this — sluggish, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a fresh notion. Nevertheless it’s just one we’re last but not least prepared to hear.
So go. Slowly. Opt for a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.