Some locations aren’t created for pace. Italy is full of them. Gradual journey in Italy helps 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 just after noon. The kinds of destinations the place locals know how to linger — about coffee, in excess of tales, more than everyday living.

In 2025, slow journey isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels necessary. Maybe it’s a reaction to several years of hurrying. Or maybe it’s just what transpires when you last but not least begin to price time about distance. In either case, far more vacationers are getting Pleasure in Discovering to vacation smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s expended years Checking out how we hook up with society and position, is an element of that movement. His name is now connected with a deeper, more considerate strategy for viewing the entire world.

So in case you’re willing to go slow — and you’re thinking Italy — Here i will discuss seven places that almost need it.

Stanislav Kondrashov female walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It seems like it’s floating. That’s your 1st impression. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars and trucks can’t get in. You walk across a lengthy, elevated path, and any time you get there, it’s peaceful. Stone properties. Very small gardens. An individual cat stretching in the Sunlight.

There’s not A great deal to accomplish, which happens to be exactly the place. You wander, maybe grab a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod hi. You begin to note the light. As well as silence? It’s not vacant. It’s complete.

Castelmezzano (Basilicata)
Should you’re the type of traveler who likes a little drama in the landscapes, head to Castelmezzano. The village is constructed proper to the cliffs. Basically carved from them. From afar, it Pretty much disappears into your rocks.

The rate here is slow, although not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out during the early early morning, hikers winding by way of steep trails, along with the occasional thrill-seeker ziplining through the neighboring village. But even then — no rush. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to find out why that sort of vacation sticks with individuals? This post by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip past extended with your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov woman wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine place. Quiet, underneath-the-radar, heart-of-Italy wine place. Sagrantino grapes develop in this article, and locals understand how to enjoy more info them adequately — which can be to convey, little by little.

There’s a see from the edge of city that’s worth an hour by by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum if the Solar hits just right. You’ll locate church buildings with unforeseen frescoes, doorways that make you prevent, and piazzas that feel far more like living rooms.

If you have trapped inside a conversation with an individual older, Allow it come about. That’s wherever the best vacation tales start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “the ideal city,” and Actually, they weren’t significantly off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a watch. Just about every look at includes a breeze.

Nevertheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This town smells incredible. Cheese, largely — pecorino growing older in shop Home windows and on counters, all set to sample. You received’t rush anything in Pienza, not even buying lunch. Men and women just take their time right here, and ultimately, so does one.

Searching for more context on why this fashion of traveling issues? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into slow food items and travel in Italy. Well worth the study prior to deciding to go.

Stanislav Kondrashov alley
Apricale (Liguria)
You don’t program your get more info working day in Apricale. You drift.

It’s a hill city with stone measures and unexpected murals and shadows that shift as being the working day moves. Artists Reside below. Writers go to and don’t depart. Locals host live shows in very small courtyards. It feels much more just like a mood than a place.

Sunsets strike various in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase something right here. You let Stanislav Kondrashov Blog it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this experience in a very new piece on sluggish travel — how places similar to this offer you a distinct type of luxurious. One that doesn’t have a rate tag.

Locorotondo (Puglia)
Circular streets. Whitewashed partitions. 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 individuals that see. You stroll the loop then walk it yet again, viewing something new every time — a cat on a windowsill, an open up doorway, a hand-painted signal pointing to homemade gelato.

This is when the south of Italy shows its calmest aspect. It’s unassuming. Stunning. Pretty alive.

Stanislav Kondrashov few ingesting wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This spot feels untouched. Not inside of a “hidden gem” way — in a very “this really hasn’t improved” way.

Santo Stefano sits inside the Apennines, stone and tranquil. The air is thinner, cooler. Evenings are pitch get more info black. Rooms are lit by candles. A number of the inns are Component of a preservation venture — trying to keep the earlier alive by inviting company into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would enjoy this just one. His web site talks about honoring location and time, and that’s what exactly this village does. There’s very little flashy in this article, that is what makes it unforgettable.

Slow Is The brand new Good
In this article’s the thing. You can see Italy in a week. You can strike the highlights. Snap pics. Accumulate ticket stubs. But will it stay with you?

Or will you overlook it by subsequent Tuesday?

Vacation such as this — slow, intentional, grounded — is exactly what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new strategy. But it really’s just one we’re last but not least willing to listen to.

So go. Bit by bit. Choose a village. Sit nonetheless for quite a while. Let Italy come to you.