Get a train pass and try to move efficiently but staying in places for 2-5 days. Use these 'home base' opportunities as a chance to talk to locals or check sites like Atlas Obscura or WikiVoyage and make day trips or plan your next location. Googling "site:reddit.com $location interesting places" can be helpful too.

I usually travel for several months and hate backpacking so this approach reduces the number of times I have to lug a suitcase around.