Slow Travels: Autumn in Italy
The Green Travel Guide: Mindful Travel for a Meaningful World
If you’re new here, welcome! I share three weekly newsletters through the lens of a novelist and travel writer: on Sundays in Storycraft on the art of creativity & story, Write Your Way Around the World on Tuesdays on travel writing and building a writing career you love, and The Green Travel Guide on Thursdays on mindful, slow and sustainable travel. Thanks for coming along on the journey!
The Green Travel Guide — Slow Stays in Italy for Fall
Visit Italy in the autumn and discover a slower pace of life as the crowds thin out and the hillsides shift to copper, burnished reds and golds. It’s the harvest season: olives being gently handpicked or raked off the trees, chestnuts roasting in mountain villages, grapes gathered and brought to the presses, as vendemmia celebrations approach. Time for hunting truffles and harvesting saffron. Local communities join together to celebrate the shift in season. The light is softer, and the days are fresher.
It’s the perfect time to get a little lost, to slow down, and embrace simplicity. Explore new places, and soak up the vita lenta (slow living) vibes. Here we’ve hand-picked 10 cosy retreats for the cooler days, share some useful Italian phrases for autumnal travellers, and a collection of wonderful, evocative Italian reads. Benvenuti!
🍁 Top 10 Slow Stays in Italy for Autumn
1. Vigilius Mountain Resort — South Tyrol / Dolomites
Accessible only by cable car, Vigilius is a car‑free haven perched at 1,500 m above Merano in the South Tyrol. The wooden, minimalist architecture seems to dissolve into larch forest midst an alpine setting. In Autumn, the Dolomites glow rust and gold, with the mountains that gorgeous enrosadira rose-gold glow in the evenings - perfect for slow hikes, forest bathing, and evenings in a thermal spa. Silence here is greatest luxury.
2. Oasyhotel — Tuscany (Apennines Wilderness)
This eco‑retreat sits inside the Oasi Dynamo Nature Reserve a 1,000‑hectare WWF-affiliated nature reserve, in the Apennine mountains an hour from Florence, Pisa and Bologna. Wooden lodges nestle among oak and birch, with e‑bikes provided to explore the forest. Autumn here means foraging, truffle hunting, and beekeeping experiences, all within a protected wilderness. There is a spectacular private lake with a bio-swimming pool, and watersports include kayaking and paddle boarding.
3. Borgo Pignano — Central Tuscany (Volterra area)
On 750 hectares of rolling Tuscan countryside, Borgo Pignano is a model for regenerative living. Solar energy, biodynamic farming, and closed‑loop water systems ground this restored borgo. Autumn brings cooking classes, hillside walks, and evenings of candlelit meals created from what’s just been harvested, served in a Michelin Green Star restaurant. Perhaps one of the most lovely aspects of this beautiful borgo is the collection of paintings and drawings by artists with a connection to Tuscany that features in every room.
4. Col di Pietra — Tuscany (Montaione area)
A rustic farmhouse retreat rooted in sustainable simplicity: no A/C, rainwater harvesting, minimal waste. Here, autumn mornings mean misty olive groves, afternoons of reading under ancient trees, and evenings tasting local wines in lantern‑lit gazebos. Close to Pisa, this farmhouse offers an apartment (bedroom with living room and kitchenette). A simple, peaceful retreat.
5. Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti — Trentino
A striking 5-star design hotel built into the Dolomiti landscape, powered by geothermal and renewable systems. Autumn here is about movement and connecting to nature: crisp hikes through larch woods, mountain biking, thermal pools steaming against mountain air, library corner for quiet reading, a yoga room to unwind, and rituals blending alpine tradition and slow luxury.
6. Sextantio Albergo Diffuso — Abruzzo (Apennines)
In the medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, homes once abandoned have become guest rooms in a “widespread hotel.” Life flows with the rhythms of the town. In autumn, mists blanket the valleys, harvests continue, and fireplaces glow inside stone cottages.
7. Cascioni Eco Retreat — Sardinia (north coast)
Between rugged coast and granite peaks, Cascioni is a family farm reimagined as a quiet eco‑retreat with wellness spa. Autumn’s soft Sardinian light and cool breezes invite slow coastal walks, olive tastings, and meditative dinners by candlelight.
8. Palazzo Doria Napoli — Naples
For a historical palazzo stay, surrounded by antiques and chandeliers, this Palazzo in Piazza Sette Settembre, offers a comfortable yet extraordinary stay in this 18th century jewel in Naples.
9. Agriturismi Across Italy
From Piedmont to Puglia, agriturismi welcome travellers into working farms. Autumn is their richest season: lend a hand at the olive press, help harvest grapes, or cook side‑by‑side with hosts who treat the season as a feast.
10. Palazzo Talìa — Rome
For those who want autumn’s slowness without leaving the city, this beautiful 5-star jewel of a hotel in Rome offers a peaceful city stay near to the Trevi Fountain. Incredible decor throughout in this ‘Small Luxury Hotels of the World’ member. A real treat!
Enjoy the seasonal shift, slowing down, and discovering a quieter, hidden side to Italy.
🇮🇹 Italian Phrases & Cultural Tips for Autumn Travellers
Benvenuti! Autumn in Italy is a quieter, more contemplative season - one of harvests, misty mornings, and long lunches. It’s the time to slow down, enjoy the present moment, and speak like a local.
Essential Phrases for Autumn Travel in Italy
It’s harvest time! È tempo di vendemmia! “Vendemmia” is the grape harvest, celebrated with local festivals and tastings.
Let’s go for a walk in the countryside. Facciamo una passeggiata in campagna. A beloved weekend ritual - especially in Tuscany and Umbria.
I’d like a table by the fireplace, if possible. Vorrei un tavolo vicino al camino, se possibile. Many trattorie light their fireplaces as soon as the evenings turn cool.
What a beautiful sunset! Che tramonto meraviglioso! Italians love commenting on natural beauty - you’ll always get a smile.
The colours are incredible. I colori sono incredibili. Autumnal landscapes are a point of pride - especially the vineyards.
I’m travelling slowly. Sto viaggiando con calma. Literally “I’m travelling calmly” - expresses the idea of slow travel perfectly.
Cultural Notes for Autumn Travellers in Italy
The Season of Sagre
Every region celebrates its local produce - chestnuts (castagne), truffles (tartufi), mushrooms (funghi), and new wine (vino). Ask locals about nearby sagre (village food festivals) - they’re the heart of autumn travel.
Menu Shifts
Summer’s tomatoes and basil give way to pumpkin, porcini, and hearty pastas. Try tagliatelle ai funghi porcini or risotto alla zucca (pumpkin/squash risotto).
Language Tip: The Art of Small Talk
Italians love to comment on the weather - especially in autumn. Try:
Fa fresco stamattina, vero? (“It’s cool this morning, isn’t it?”)
L’autunno qui è bellissimo. (“Autumn here is beautiful.”)
Travel Rhythm
Trains and towns are calmer, locals are friendlier, and prices are lower - autumn is Italy’s best-kept secret for viaggiare con calma - slow travel.
“Piano piano, si arriva lontano.”
Slowly, slowly, and you’ll go far.
A perfect motto for slow travellers in Italy!
Recommended Reading
To accompany a slow Italy trip, here’s a curated reading list of all things Italy, mixing literature, memoir, and travel writing:
Fiction:
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante – Naples and southern Italy through friendship.
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa – Sicilian tradition and change.
Italian Folktales, Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino — imaginative explorations of Italy’s towns and landscapes.
Family Lexicon by Natalia Ginsburg — slow reflections on Italian society and family life.
The Eight Mountains (Le otto montagne) by Paolo Cognetti – A poetic reflection on the Italian Alps, friendship, father-son relationships, and the slow rhythm of mountain life.
I’m Not Scared (Io non ho paura) by Niccolò Ammaniti – Southern Italy countryside, coming-of-age, and social reflection.
The Letter Carrier (La Portalettere) by Francesca Giannone — story inspired by Italy’s first female postwoman in the 1930s.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow (Domani, Domani) by Francesca Giannone - loss, resilience and complexities of familial bonds in post-war Italy.
The Florios of Sicily (I leoni di Sicilia) by Stefania Auci — chronicling the rise of the Florio family in 19th-century Sicily.
Memoir:
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes – renovating a villa, tasting life at a gentle pace.
Italian Neighbours by Tim Parks – humour and insight in a small Italian town.
Essays, Culture & Observational Writing:
The Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy – art and culture through Florence.
Italian Ways by Tim Parks – essays on Italy’s rhythms, seasons, and towns.
Venice by Cees Nooteboom - impressions of Venice over the years.
A Literary Tour of Italy by Tim Parks - exploring the literature of Italy.
Where are some of your favourite places and slow stays in Italy? Comment below.
Coming soon - The Ultimate Green Travel Guide: 100 Inspiring Adventures
If you’re looking for some slow travel inspiration, pre-order your copy of The Ultimate Green Travel Guide: 100 Inspiring Adventures here. With trips like hiking Tasmania’s Tarkine Rainforest to exploring the Lebanon Mountain Trail, kayaking in the Lofoten Islands in Norway to eco-desert stays in Jordan, or a home stay with an Amazigh family in the Atlas Mountains - this comprehensive guide to sustainable travel will help you find your next adventure.
Also this week:
Also this week in Storycraft - travel to Kerala in India with: Lessons in Writing from Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things
Write Your Way Around The World shared a Story Audit from Prague - with tips on how to make sure your travel writing lands.
Also check out the Writer’s Toolkit - a curated collection of resources - if you are looking for next steps to develop your writing.
If you missed it, in The Green Travel Guide recently:
Why the Canary Islands are Europe’s Best Green Travel Secret
From Waitukubuli to Zanzibar: Join the Green Travel Explorers’ Club
Join the Explorers’ Club
Want access to all the new Green Travel Guides, Mini-Guides and Slow City Guides for the next 12 months? Then sign up to the paid tier for 6€ a month (the cost of a coffee!) and receive membership benefits worth over $200. Each month you’ll receive the latest guides (full of curated itineraries and green travel experiences) for free for a year.
You’ll also get access to all the Writer’s Edition benefits (including full access to Travel Journal Club, full archives and full interviews with adventurers, travel writers and photographers) - to spark your slow travel inspiration.
If you’ve enjoyed this green travel content and found it helpful, consider sharing, restacking, commenting, subscribing or recommending. 🗺️ 🌍
Happy Travels,
Laura
Laura McVeigh
Author, Travel Writer, Founder - Green Travel Guides
lauramcveigh.com | lauramcveightravel.com | travel-writing.com | greentravelguides.world
Laura McVeigh is a Northern Irish novelist and travel writer. Her work is widely translated and her latest novel Lenny is set between the desert in Libya and the bayou in Louisiana. She has authored books for Lonely Planet, DK Travel, bylines in the Irish Times, Irish Independent, featured by the BBC, Newsweek, New Internationalist & many more. Former CEO for a global writers’ organisation, working with writers from 145 countries. She is founder of Travel-Writing.Com and Green Travel Guides. Laura writes on storytelling, travel writing and mindful travel on Substack.
Wonderful tips!!
Some great picks in this list! I find it interesting how well-positioned Italy is for green and eco-travel but it seems they haven’t yet nuanced how to promote it … you’d think there’d be quite a sense of urgency given the pressures on their traditional hotspots.
One addition to the Tim Parks canon: A Year With Verona!