In all honestly: the big touristy destinations (Paris, London, etc.) are not for me. It is too crowded, too commercialized and too shallow. I get more joy out of cities that are less fixed on the radar of every tourist. The not-everyday destinations, places that are bit more rough but full of character. Our overland trip from the Netherlands to Indonesia (the first part covered Central and Eastern Europa) was a great moment to tick off a few unknown gems in Europe. One of our first stops was the city of Łódź in Poland. You probably have never heard of it, but I am sure this is going to change in the coming years. Łódź is blossoming. Let me show you why this Polish city is worth taking a trip to, plus 6 amazing things to do while you’re there.

Not Łódź but Woodge

Let’s start off by correcting the mistake that every tourist (including me) makes when visiting Łódź: the name of the city. This is pronounced a little bit different than you would think. The l is pronounced as a w, the o is pronounced as an oo and the dz is pronounced as dge. Don’t be ashamed if your pronunciation sucks. The Polish language is one of the most difficult languages in Europe.

Piotrkowska street Lodz building

negative stereotype of Łódź

When I told a Polish colleague that I was planning to travel to Łódź, she didn’t understand why. “Łódź is a dull grey city, there is nothing to see”. You see, Łódź had a pretty negative image. It used to be a major textile city in the former Russian empire, but the wars of the 20th century had a devastating effect. The industry collapsed and the factories became empty shells. This is the image that most people remember of Łódź. However, that is not the end of the story, because Łódź reinvented itself as an art city. A film academy, music school, and art academy opened its doors. If you ask me, it is a golden combination with the empty factories as a backdrop.

Ugly duck of Poland?

So, is Łódź the ugly duck of Poland? My answer: no. Łódź might not be a pretty city as Krakow or Poznan, but it is a city with character. It has everything to offer for a perfect city trip. And the best part: no tourist groups. I definitely see good chances for Łódź welcoming more tourists in the future, but at the same time I hope that the city stays as authentic as it is now.

Piotrkowska-street-Lodz-detail
Ugly duck of Poland? No!

Do you want to read more about Poland? I have traveled three times to Poland and I have seen quite a lot. Read more about Poznan, Gdansk, Wroclaw and Krakow.

6 great things to do Łódź

1. Industrial heritage: Manufaktura

Manufaktura used to be one of the largest weaving and spinning mills in Łódź, but just like the other factories, it fell into disrepair. The complex is now renovated into a large shopping and entertainment center. But, if you look at it from distance, it still looks like a factory due to the red brick stones. Kudos to the new owners and the way they have tried to keep the old identity. Visitors will enter through the Poznanski gate where the construction workers also used to enter. The first thing you see is a large square. On a sunny day, a perfect place to sit down and ‘watch people’ with a cup of coffee.

How to get here?

Take tram 2, 3 or 11 A/B and get off at Zachodnia-Manufaktura.

Manufaktura Polen Lodz
Manufaktura Lodz

2. Łódź at its prettiest: Ulica Piotrkowska

Ulica Piotrkowska is the longest (4 km) street of Europa. It’s a pedestrian zone, but bicycles are allowed to pass through. So pay attention when you want to cross the street. Piotrkowska runs from Freedom Square (Plac Wolnosci) to Independence Square (Plac Niepodleglosci). On both sides of the street, you can see beautiful historical and industrial houses in neo-renaissance and Art Nouveau style.

Łódź is the city of art and you can also clearly see this at Ulica Piotrkowska. Take for instance the bronze statues of city heroes and walk across the Walk of Fame (of Łódź). On the star-shaped tiles, you see the names of important actors and film directors. My tip: don’t just visit this street once, but come back a few times. Take a left or right and head into the side streets. Every time I did this, I saw something new!

How to get here?

Take tram 1-4, 7A/B, 11A/B, 14, 15 or 17 to Plac Wolnosci and start your stroll from the north side. Take tram 2, 3, 6 7A/B, 8, 10A/B, 11A/B, 14 or 18 to the modern station Piotrkowska Center and start the stroll from the south side.

Piotrkowska street Lodz
Lodz filmindustrie
Piotrkowska street Lodz building
Piotrkowska street Lodz details

3. Hipster factories of Łódź: OFF Piotrkowska

All those empty textile factories in Łódź are perfect breeding grounds for creative hotspots. The most creative area is located in one of the side streets of Ulica Piotrkowska. Welcome to OFF Piotrkowska. Exactly as the name says: just off the Piotrkowska street. The old building here started out as a cotton mill but is now renovated into a multifunctional creative center. Visitors can find here a soccer cafe, art galleries, a barbershop, restaurants, and bars. To me, this place feels like the NDSM grounds in Amsterdam or Strijp-S in Eindhoven. I am a big fan of creative places. This is not the only hipster spot of Łódź. Just down the street, there is another spot called Piotrkowska 217, dubbed as the second ‘Off’ by locals.

How to get here?

Take tram 2,3,6,7A/B,10A/B, 11A/B, 14 or 18 to station Piotrkowska Center, go left and you will see OFF Piotrkowska on the right side.

Off Piotrkowska street Lodz ingang
Off Piotrkowska street hip Lodz

4. Hunt for hours (or days) for the best street art

The main reason for me to come to Łódź was the massive amount of street art this city has to offer. In 2009 the Urban Forms Gallery was founded, a local foundation in Łódź that promoted street art with the goal to improve the overall look of the city. This resulted in more than 130 murals. You can spend a whole weekend soaking up all the street art there is to see here. Most of them are located on the right and left side of the Ulica Piotrkowska. So that makes it easy!

These murals were my favorites:

  • Sienkiewicza 18: Brazilian artist KOBRA painted the Polish pianist Artur Rubenstein;
  • Roosevelta 5: a gigantic mural of Os Gemeos (with the typical yellow figures);
  • Pułku Strzelców Kaniowskich 48: the holy warrior of INTI;
  • Kilinkskiego 127: BORDALO II, a Portuguese artist that makes fantastic art out of garbage.
How to find street art?

Download the map of the tourism agency of Łódź and go on a Do It Yourself street art hunt. Or use the Łódź street art map of Street Art Cities. I used their street art map in Cologne and was a big fan.

Street art Lodz KOBA
ROA Lodz Polen
Street art Lodz mural INTI
Street art Lodz mural Os Gemeos
Street art Lodz mural bordalo
Street art Lodz mural 5

5. Great food and cafes

Łódź has a great café culture. Moreover, Poland in general is a great country for vegetarians and vegans. I never had any trouble finding a restaurant and for a quick bite, I found that Zabka (a Polish convenience store chain) had always something to offer.

Here are my favorite restaurants:

  • Tel Aviv Urban Bar: a vegan street food restaurant with hummus, falafel and burgers. The place is nicely decorated. It has multiple locations, so if you miss it in Łódź, there is another one in Warsaw as well.  
  • Burgerbars Zielona (in Manufaktura), Papuvege (near Łódź Fabryczna) and Korzenie (at Piotrkowska 217): burger addicts are going to love Łódź.
  • Kardamon: a small cafe in a side street of Piotrkowska. A good place for coffee and vegan cake.  
Tel Aviv Urban Bar Lodz

How to find vegetarian or vegan restaurants in Łódź: I always use Happy Cow or Foursquare.

6. Architecture: palaces & modern museums

Łódź is not only about industrial heritage, it also has beautiful architecture. The factory directors needed to live somewhere, and they often built the most beautiful villas and palaces. Undoubtedly, the most beautiful palace is the Izrael Poznanski palace, home to the director of the former spinning mill in Manufaktura. I also saw some beautiful churches. Take for instance the beautiful Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Holy Trinity Church in three colors: grey, yellow and white.

Do you like modern architecture? Head over to the EC1, a former power plant transformed into an interactive science center. It looked so cool from the outside!

How to get here?

Take tram 2, 3 or 11A/B to get to the Izrael Poznanski palace. Get off at Zachodnia-Manufaktura. Take bus 83 or 80 or tram 1, 5 or 18 to go to the EC1 museum. Get off at Kilinskiego-Tuwima.

Lodz church Polen
Lodz church Poland

Would you visit Łódź?

Author

"Don't let your dreams be dreams. Go live your dreams. Go travel".

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