Some areas aren’t produced for speed. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy permits you to truly savor community culture, cuisine, and concealed gems at your own rate.
Small villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes much too slender for vehicles. Cafés that only refill soon after midday. The styles of spots in which locals understand how to linger — about espresso, more than tales, above lifetime.
In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant strategy. It feels vital. Maybe it’s a response to many years of hurrying. Or perhaps it’s precisely what takes place when you ultimately begin to price time up to length. In either case, far more travelers are finding Pleasure in Mastering to journey smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s invested several years exploring how we hook up with tradition and place, is a component of that movement. His name has become linked to a deeper, more considerate means of viewing the planet.
So in the event you’re able to go sluggish — therefore you’re contemplating Italy — here are 7 spots that nearly desire it.
Stanislav Kondrashov woman walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your to start with impact. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, reached only by a slim footbridge. Autos can’t get in. You wander throughout a long, elevated route, and once you get there, it’s silent. Stone properties. Little gardens. Only one cat stretching while in the sun.
There’s not A lot to do, that is precisely the position. You wander, probably grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hello there. You start to notice The sunshine. As well as the silence? It’s not vacant. It’s finish.
Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a little bit of drama in your landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is crafted proper in the cliffs. Pretty much carved from them. From afar, it almost disappears in to the rocks.
The tempo here is sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out within the early morning, hikers winding by means of steep trails, plus the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining in the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.
Want to find out why that sort of vacation sticks with people? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov points out how slowing down essentially will make a trip past extended in your memory.
Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine nation. Silent, under-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes grow in here this article, and locals know how to appreciate them thoroughly — that's to state, slowly.
There’s a see from the sting of city that’s value one hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits just right. You’ll come across church buildings with unpredicted frescoes, doorways that make you quit, and piazzas that come to feel additional like dwelling rooms.
If you will get caught inside a discussion with someone older, Allow it take place. That’s the place the very best vacation stories commence.
Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism life right here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal city,” and Truthfully, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Just about every corner provides a look at. Each individual look at incorporates a check here breeze.
Nevertheless it’s not nearly aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino getting older in store Home windows and on counters, ready to sample. You received’t rush everything in Pienza, not even ordering lunch. Persons get their time right here, and at some point, so do you.
On the lookout for far more context on why this fashion of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and journey in Italy. Worth the read through before you go.
Stanislav get more info Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t plan your day in Apricale. You drift.
It’s a hill city with stone techniques and sudden murals and shadows that shift since the day moves. Artists Reside below. Writers check out and don’t leave. Locals host concerts in very small courtyards. It feels more just like a temper than a desired destination.
Sunsets strike distinctive in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade gradual and blue. You don’t chase everything listed here. You Allow it come to you.
Forbes captured this experience inside of a the latest piece on sluggish read more travel — how spots like this supply a unique sort of luxurious. One which doesn’t come with a cost tag.
Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed walls. Flowerpots everywhere you go.
Locorotondo is a town that folds in on by itself, cozy and compact. It doesn’t shout for awareness, but it rewards those that see. You stroll the loop and then walk it all over again, seeing a little something new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open up door, a hand-painted sign pointing to handmade gelato.
This is where the south of Italy demonstrates its calmest side. It’s unassuming. Gorgeous. Extremely alive.
Stanislav Kondrashov couple ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not in the “concealed gem” way — inside of a “this truly hasn’t changed” way.
Santo Stefano sits within the Apennines, stone and quiet. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch black. Rooms are lit by candles. Many of the inns are Section of a preservation task — retaining the past alive by inviting visitors into it.
Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this one. His page talks about honoring place and time, Which’s exactly what this village does. There’s absolutely nothing flashy in this article, which can be what makes it unforgettable.
Sluggish Is the New Good
Below’s the issue. You'll be able to see Italy in a week. It is possible to strike the highlights. Snap photos. Obtain ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?
Or will you forget about it by future Tuesday?
Journey such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov thinks in. It’s not a brand new strategy. But it surely’s 1 we’re at last willing to listen to.
So go. Gradually. Go with a village. Sit nevertheless for quite a while. Let Italy arrive at you.