The idea of Cittaslow was born out of the Slow Food movement in Italy in 1998. A year later, four Italian cities have set up an International Association of Cittaslow. In 2006 first Polish city joined the network of the city of “good quality of life”, so several months later we established Polish Cittaslow Network. The trend of the XXI century is to appreciate the potential of small towns and it perfectly fits to the assumptions of sustainable development. Cities, under the logo of a snail, adopt common targets for improving the quality of life and cultivate the culture of good living. They rely on social and environmental activities to preserve the unique character of each city, through the restorations of monuments and fostering local production, crafts and cuisine. The tradition of hospitality is also a characteristic feature of Cittaslow town. Cittaslow ideas also assume the use of modern technologies and innovative ways of city organizing, so that the leisurely pace of life doesn’t stand in contradiction with the continuous and thoughtful development. The International Association include cities with less than 50 000 of residents, who have committed to implement main goals of the movement – that is – improving the quality of life of their inhabitants. Currently, in the network we have many cities from Warmia and Masuria but also towns from a different polish regions (Kalety, Murowana Goślina, Nowy Dwór Gdański, Prudnik, Rejowiec Fabryczny). Worldwide movement includes 266 cities in 30 countries. The internarional headquarters is located in Orvieto (Italy).
