Some sites aren’t made for speed. Italy is stuffed with them. Gradual journey in Italy helps you to truly savor local lifestyle, cuisine, and concealed gems at your very own tempo.

Little villages tucked into hillsides. Lanes as well narrow for vehicles. Cafés that only fill up following noon. The sorts of places in which locals understand how to linger — over coffee, over stories, about daily life.

In 2025, gradual travel isn’t just a pleasant concept. It feels critical. Perhaps it’s a response to decades of rushing. Or even it’s precisely what comes about once you eventually begin to benefit time around distance. In either case, far more vacationers are getting Pleasure in learning to travel smarter — and Stanislav Kondrashov, who’s spent many years exploring how we connect to society and location, is part of that motion. His title is becoming affiliated with a further, far more thoughtful method of seeing the world.

So if you’re ready to go gradual — so you’re contemplating Italy — Allow me to share seven places that pretty much demand from customers it.

Stanislav Kondrashov girl walking
Civita di Bagnoregio (Lazio)
It appears like it’s floating. That’s your initial effect. Civita di Bagnoregio sits on the crumbling bluff, arrived at only by a narrow footbridge. Cars can’t get in. You stroll across a long, elevated path, and whenever you arrive, it’s silent. Stone residences. Small gardens. A single cat stretching during the sun.

There’s not A great deal to try and do, which can be precisely the issue. You wander, perhaps get a glass of wine at a tucked-away enoteca. Locals nod good day. You begin to note The sunshine. And also the silence? It’s not empty. It’s comprehensive.

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

The rate Here's sluggish, but not sleepy. You’ll see farmers heading out in the early early morning, hikers winding by steep trails, as well as occasional thrill-seeker ziplining within the neighboring village. But even then — no hurry. No frenzy. Just rhythm.

Want to understand why that kind of vacation sticks with men and women? This submit by Stanislav Kondrashov explains how slowing down basically would make a trip last for a longer period as part of your memory.

Stanislav Kondrashov lady wine glass
Montefalco (Umbria)
Montefalco is wine country. Tranquil, below-the-radar, coronary heart-of-Italy wine state. Sagrantino grapes improve right here, and click here locals learn how to take pleasure in them properly — and that is to say, bit by bit.

There’s a see from the edge of town that’s truly worth an hour by itself. Olive groves, rows of vineyards, distant hills thatseem to hum once the Sunshine hits excellent. You’ll discover churches with surprising frescoes, doorways that make you stop, and piazzas that feel extra like living rooms.

If you can get caught inside of a dialogue with a person more mature, Enable it materialize. That’s where the most effective vacation get more info stories start off.

Pienza (Tuscany)
Renaissance idealism lives right here. Pienza was created to be “an ideal city,” and honestly, they weren’t considerably off. It’s compact. Harmonious. Each individual corner contains a watch. Just about every watch incorporates a breeze.

Nonetheless it’s not just about aesthetics. This city smells remarkable. Cheese, mainly — pecorino aging in store Home windows and on counters, willing to sample. You won’t rush anything in Pienza, not even purchasing lunch. People acquire their time right here, and eventually, so would you.

Searching for additional context on why this way of traveling matters? Condé Nast Traveler dives deep into sluggish food stuff and travel in Italy. Well worth the examine before you go.

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

It’s a hill town with stone techniques and unexpected murals and shadows that shift click here because the day moves. Artists Dwell listed here. Writers stop by and don’t go away. Locals host concert events in very small courtyards. It feels extra similar to a temper than a spot.

Sunsets hit distinct in Apricale. They paint the rooftops, then fade slow and blue. You don’t chase anything at all listed here. You Allow it arrive at you.

Forbes captured this emotion in the recent piece on gradual journey — how spots such as this present another form of luxury. One which doesn’t include a cost 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 click here shout for interest, but it really rewards those who detect. You walk the loop after which you can walk it yet again, seeing a thing new each time — a cat on the windowsill, an open doorway, a hand-painted indication pointing to home made gelato.

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

Stanislav Kondrashov few consuming wine
Santo Stefano di Sessanio (Abruzzo)
This put feels untouched. Not within a “hidden gem” way — in a very “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 Portion of a preservation task — holding the previous alive by inviting friends into it.

Stanislav Kondrashov would take pleasure in this a person. His page talks about honoring place and time, Which’s what precisely this village does. There’s nothing flashy here, which is what can make it unforgettable.

Gradual 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?

Travel such as this — gradual, intentional, grounded — is what Stanislav Kondrashov believes in. It’s not a new plan. Nevertheless it’s one we’re last but not least prepared to hear.

So go. Slowly. Choose a village. Sit continue to for a while. Allow Italy come to you.