A trio of travel books showcases three very different ways to journey more slowly and sustainably – and in aesthetically inspiring and thought-provoking ways, too.
WORDS Robyn Alexander PHOTOS Supplied, Gestalten (Slow Escapes), Leander/Nardin/Gestalten (Life on the Road)
Monday to Sunday Athens
by Seda Domaniç and Yannis Zaras (Monday to Sunday, 2025)
This evocative travel guide sets out the details of spending a full week exploring almost every aspect of a single city – Athens – and its surroundings, as well as the adjacent islands of Hydra, Aegina and Agistri. “We chose Athens as our next destination as it is a city with a new story to share. Many travellers expect Athens to be defined by its ancient ruins, with the Acropolis looming over the city. Yet Athens is a place where past and present coexist, sometimes in tension, but always in a way that sparks curiosity,” say the book’s authors. Their unique guide – which looks at culture, history, art, design, gastronomy and entertainment – encourages visitors to take the time required to delve into the city’s vibrant present as well as its storied past, and follows on from the successful first book of a planned series, Monday to Sunday Istanbul. Featuring more than 330 gorgeous photographs, Monday to Sunday Athens also includes 29 interviews with the city’s leading chefs, artists, academics, architects, designers and entrepreneurs. | mondaytosundaybook.com
Slow Escapes: Rural Retreats for Conscious Travellers
by Gestalten and Clara Le Fort (editors) (Gestalten, 2022)
From the Fogo Island Inn, a hotel set on an island off an island in the North Atlantic, to a new-age fi nca in the heart of Andalusia in Spain, Slow Escapes explores hotels, guesthouses and hospitality venues that are reinvigorating rural areas by attempting to create meaningful connections between people and places. The principles of community, sustainability and seasonality – as well as a commitment to the preservation of heritage and culture – form a key part of the vision that sustains these holiday properties, reflecting a real dedication by all of them to the principles of slow living. | gestalten.com
Life on the Road: Around the World on Four Wheels
by Gestalten, Leander Nardin and Maria Zehentner (editors) (Gestalten, 2025)
In 2014, Maria Zehentner and Leander Nardin bought an old Mercedes-Benz truck, and aft er plenty of research and budgeting, transformed it into a mobile home for themselves. The compact, wood-lined cabin – just 12m2 in size – includes a double bed that morphs into a table and seating area, a separate bunk bed above that, clever storage solutions, plus a sink and a toilet. And in December 2016, the couple and their four-year-old son Lennox set out on what became a seven-year journey that saw them circumnavigate the globe, taking in Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Indonesia, Australia and North America. It was the epitome of slow travel – and Life on the Road beautifully chronicles this truly unique family trip. | gestalten.com
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