CartolinaLentaCartolinaLenta
The world moves too fast. Go back to writing to the people you love, knowing the wait makes the message more precious.
Remember paper postcards on holiday? The ones you'd wait days for? Wouldn't it be nice to do that again. That's exactly what CartolinaLenta does: same wait, same handwriting, same small magic. Except today you write it from your phone, from the real place you're in.
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A few examples
Real postcards, not fake previews
How it works
01
You're really there
The app only unlocks once GPS finds you in one of the supported cities, no shortcuts, just like a real postcard bought at a newsstand on holiday.
02
Write the postcard
Choose a photo of the place you're in (or upload your own), write a few lines by hand (with the keyboard, but the font stays true to real handwriting) and sign it.
03
Send it and wait for it to arrive
The recipient waits real days of simulated travel: real kilometers, a real mode of transport, before they can finally open it.
Time capsule
Or seal it into the future.
Instead of letting it travel in a few days, you choose the date it opens: in a month, for a birthday, in a year. Not a journey, but a real wait, chosen by you. You can even send it to yourself, to receive it in the future.
Where you can write
Cities unlocked so far
Rome
La città eterna
Venice
La serenissima
Florence
La culla del Rinascimento
Paris
La città delle luci
London
Dove il Tamigi racconta i secoli
Barcelona
Gaudì, mare e vita di strada
Amsterdam
Tra i canali in bicicletta
New York
La città che non dorme mai
Tokyo
Tra neon e templi millenari
Kyoto
Mille templi tra i ciliegi
Prague
La città dalle cento torri
Vienna
Valzer e caffè storici
Istanbul
Dove l'Europa incontra l'Asia
Cairo
All'ombra delle piramidi
Rio de Janeiro
Il Cristo che abbraccia la baia
Sydney
Vele bianche sull'oceano
Dubai
Dune che diventano grattacieli
Singapore
Giardino tra i grattacieli
This is just a selection: there are already 326 cities on CartolinaLenta. Search for yours above, or explore all of them in the Atlas once you're inside the app.
It's not another instant-messaging app.
Everything, today, arrives instantly. CartolinaLenta deliberately does the opposite: the wait is the gift, not a flaw. Whoever writes knows it'll take days; whoever receives it knows it was worth the wait. A bit of the slowness of the past, put back on purpose inside something new.
Common questions
Is it a real paper postcard, sent by post?
No, it's digital, but it respects the same time a real one would. The journey takes real days, worked out from the real distance and mode of transport, and whoever receives it has to wait like they used to, with no way to peek early.
How much does it cost?
For now it's free for everyone, with no limit on how many postcards you send. The prices for future packages are already visible, but not active yet, on the pricing page.
Do I really have to be in that city to write?
Yes, the app checks your location via GPS. Not really there? You can always simulate a city to try the experience.
Can I write one to myself?
Yes, it's actually recommended: it's the fastest way to understand what whoever receives one from you will feel.
My city isn't there, what do I do?
The list keeps growing. Search for it above, and if it's not there yet you can request it directly from the app, once you're in.