Poland

Lodz – the alternative and creative center of Poland

Last Updated on 29/08/2024 by kami

I’ve been meaning to visit Lodz for years (especially that it’s one of the easiest day trips from Warsaw) as I always felt there’s so much more to the city than it seems at first sight.

Years have gone by, I was passing the city on numerous occasions but never really saw it.

Finally this summer, after finding out about the unusual, movie-themed hotel, I set off for the weekend in Lodz.

A reason good like any other but it was a final push for me that it’s really about the time I should visit the city and check myself what to do in Lodz.

And well, now I can’t explain why I’ve waited so long! There were so many great things to do in Lodz and the place turned out to be one of the most interesting and unique cities in Poland!

Lodz essentials

Visit Lodz Poland

Short history of Lodz, Poland

The train journey from Warsaw to Lodz takes a little bit less than 2 hours but these two cities couldn’t be any more different.

While Warsaw used to be sophisticated and elegant, known as Paris of the East (and now is a “Phoenix city” and a mix of just about everything), Lodz is full of its industrial heritage.

The settlement, conveniently located in the middle of Poland, at the crossroads of trading routes, has been a sleepy place for centuries.

This has changed at the beginning of 1800s when Lodz became a “Promised Land”, attracting people from all over Europe (even as far as England or Portugal). The first factories opened changing the city forever.

Lodz was once the biggest textile production center in the former Russian Empire, the city was also known for its multicultural character, being home to the big Polish, German, Russian and Jewish population.

Even if the city was dealing with numerous industrial and workers issues it was doing rather good, the peak of the prosperity of the city happened just before the First World War.

The troublesome history of Europe, especially the occupation by Nazi Germany, had a big impact on Lodz and its inhabitants.

The city lost half of its population in the WW2 but it was quickly regained due to the migration movements. Lodz was yet again the main textile center of Poland and the second biggest city in the country.

After the communism collapsed the industry in Lodz slowly faded away, leaving the city with numerous problems to deal with.

These days Lodz tries to redefine itself, drawing inspiration from its industrial past and becoming the alternative hub of Poland. Lodz tourism is blooming!

Visit Lodz Poland

Lodz tourist information – where you should start your visit

I started my weekend in Lodz by visiting the local tourist info center, conveniently located in the middle of Piotrkowska street – the most important street in the city.

And it was the best decision as the guy working there was very passionate about his hometown and happily shared all his knowledge and recommendations for the places to visit in Lodz.

He quickly passed on his enthusiasm and despite the rather terrible weather I was even more excited and couldn’t wait to explore all the amazing Lodz attractions!

He said that the majority of people who visit Lodz come there just for a couple of hours which might be enough to see only Piotrkowska street and its surroundings.

Even the weekend might be not enough to discover all Lodz has to offer. And he was right…

Visit Lodz Poland

Where to stay in Lodz

Before setting off to exploring Lodz I went to my hotel – Stare Kino Cinema Residence. I adore unusual places and well, it was love at first sight.

The hotel is located in one of the yards on Piotrkowska street, not far from Off Piotrkowska (the best place in the city).

Since the film industry is very strong in Lodz (the biggest film studio and the best film school are located there) it’s not surprising that the hotel drew inspiration from movies.

The interior is carefully designed, every minor detail is connected to the movies and altogether they create a perfect atmosphere.

As soon as you step inside you can smell freshly made popcorn and you just know you’re in a very special place!

Visit Lodz Poland

There are 42 apartments in Stare Kino Cinema Residence, half of them inspired by Polish movies and half by international.

I don’t think I’d be able to decide which apartment I want to stay at, all of them look unique and so interesting.

The faith put me at “Rebel without a cause” and it was beautiful and so comfortable (a small kitchen and a tea in the morning always win my heart)!

I immediately fell for a big comfy armchair and could have spent hours sitting in it. And I did, planning my weekend in Lodz or resting after a busy day exploring the city.

Click here to see current deals and to book the place at Stare Kino – Cinema Residence.

Stare Kino Cinema Residence

Piotrkowska street – the heart of Lodz

Most cities have market squares in old towns as the main venue but Lodz has Piotrkowska street.

It is the second longest street in the city and one of the longest commercial streets in Europe, spreading for almost 5 km in the heart of the city.

The most beautiful part, from Plac Woloności to Piłsudskiego street, is pedestrian however you need to look out for numerous bikes speeding around (especially now that Lodz has its own city bikes system and stations are located around every corner).

Even if Piotrkowska is such a long street it doesn’t get boring to walk it all the way.

The key to fully appreciate it is to look up and around to admire all the beautiful buildings you pass (many of them built in the eclectic and modernism style, reminding of the wealth times) and peek inside the gates to find some of the most charming yards. That was actually one of my favorite things to do in Lodz.

The street is lined with endless cafes, pubs, and restaurants so it’s very easy to get distracted there, but every time it is a pure pleasure!

things to do in Lodz

Visit Lodz Poland

things to do in lodz

Off Piotrkowska – the creative hub of Lodz

The most famous yard can be found at Piotrkowska 138/140. That’s where Off Piotrkowska is located – a cultural and creative center of Lodz.

A former spinning and weaving factory was transformed in 2011 to serve people.

Right now there’re around 50 small businesses operating: designers, architects, restaurants, clubs, galleries or concept stores (just to name few).

Off Piotrkowska was a unique project in the country and started the new trend of transforming former industrial spaces into cultural hubs all over Poland.

In 2014 it even won the title of the new wonder of Poland in the contest organized by National Geographic.

During my trip to Lodz I visited the place a couple of times and always, no matter what time of the day, it was full of people enjoying the place.

And I can’t blame them as it was simply amazing, probably the best contemporary space I’ve seen in Poland so far!

The creativity was floating in the air and I could easily picture myself spending hours in Off Piotrkowska, catching up on writing. It just felt so good to be there!

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Hidden wonders on Piotrkowska

But even if Off Piotrkowska is the best spot in Lodz there’re a couple of similar places along the main street.

At number 217, in the former iron foundry, a culinary scene of Lodz is blooming. That’s where the street food festival and food market take place but also where some really nice cafes and restaurants are located.

Apparently Lodz needs this kind of places, they somehow define the present of the city.

But even random yards along Piotrkowska hide some wonders: beautiful tiles, interesting architecture and even more great cafes and restaurants.

The best one was Lavash restaurant serving Armenian food – rumors say it is the best Armenian restaurant in Poland and I can gladly confirm it (or maybe I’m just biased as I like Armenia so much?).

From all the yards the most spectacular one is located at number 3.

It’s Rosa’s Passage and is decorated with uncountable pieces of mirror.

When the sun shines the effect is mind-blowing! The whole place is glittering and looks like from a fairy tale!

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Industrial past, promising future

With such a rich industrial past I was expecting to see numerous factories in Lodz. But I didn’t expect that many of them!

I can’t really recall the number of factories I’ve admired in these 2 days of Lodz!

In recent years they’ve been going through the major restoration process, giving them the splendid look and charm.

I was over excited to see them all, I have a soft spot for industrial places and so when visiting all the former factories I felt like a duck in the water!

The most famous one is probably Manufaktura – a commercial and entertainment center, the biggest one in Central Europe.

The former industrial complex is simply stunning and always busy with people.

But there’re so many other old factories worth visiting in Lodz!

White Factory (currently serving as Central Museum of Textiles), Księży Młyn (together with rows of houses for workers) or power station EC1 (where, among other institutions, film studio of David Lynch is located).

Still, so many of industrial buildings are decaying, waiting for the better times.

But looking at the recent boom in Lodz I believe they will be taken care of too, sooner or later, turning them into yet another amazing landmark in Lodz. Right now they’re perfect for urban exploring anyway.

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Incredible Lodz street art

The main reason, however, why I came to Lodz was the amazing street art.

It was the first Polish city that I recall where big murals were introduced and promoted.

Back in 2009 the local foundation Urban Forms started promoting the street art, inviting international artists like ROA from Belgium (known from Berlin street art) or Inti from Chile (you can find his works in Kosice, Slovakia too) as well as promoting local – and now world famous – artists, like ETAM cru.

Of course that’s not everything you can find in Lodz.

Just keep your eyes open and you will stumble across numerous Lodz murals all over the city, including old grand format advertisements.

I was literally in awe when looking at all the great street art I’ve managed to find.

Even if there are so many works they are spread all over the city and you don’t feel overwhelmed like in Gdansk.

Big murals are just part of the local outdoor scene, they simply blend in.

There’re also numerous sculptures (including big objects that we used to use everyday decades ago, like old washing machine or flask) or a beautiful rainbow tram stop known as the stable of unicorns.

Even two local football teams have a funny yet creative war on the walls of Lodz, writing sentences like “RKS doesn’t read books” and “ŁKS sleeps in socks”.

I really love how Poland becomes one of the best street art countries in Europe and Lodz is a great example of how this form of art should fit into the cityscape.

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Visit Lodz Poland

Beautiful architecture of Lodz

It’s not that Lodz is only about creative and post-industrial places. You can find truly beautiful architecture there too.

As a rather new city, there isn’t a typical old town but a wealthy past resulted in many jaw-dropping mansions and palaces that used to belong to the most prominent citizens.

The most stunning one is Izrael Poznański Palace – a neo-baroque residence known also as the “Louvre of Lodz”. And it definitely deserves this title!

These days the museum of Lodz history is located there but you can easily wander around the garden to fall in love with the place.

Most of these spectacular buildings can be found on Piotrkowska street but when wandering around the center you never know when you might stumble across some architectural beauties.

I really enjoyed old wooden houses form Lodz region, located next to the White Factory. The summer villa looked exactly like from a fairy tale or childhood American movies!

Lodz Poland

Lodz Poland

Lodz Poland

Lodz Poland

Lodz Poland

Lodz Poland

Lodz Poland

Is Lodz worth visiting?

If you ask random people in Poland if they would go for a city break to Lodz most of them will probably tell you there’s nothing interesting there. Huge mistake!

Two days I’ve spent there were not enough to see all I wanted to – i.e. I missed all the museums or grand cemeteries, some of the most beautiful ones in Poland.

Before visiting Lodz I didn’t expect the city to be so amazing, now I’m thinking of returning there even if just to soak up the creative and alternative atmosphere again.

Lodz is different than most of the cities in Poland but that’s what makes it so interesting and unique. I can’t really compare it to any other city (maybe Zyrardow as it had a similar past but that’s about it).

If you’re looking for an unusual place to visit in Poland Lodz is your answer!

visit-lodz-poland-59

Further reading

I published many articles about Poland that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.


Travel Resources

You can find the best accommodation options at Booking. They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Lodz

Never travel without travel insurance, you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Poland here.

I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Get Your Guide – click here.

Make sure to have the offline map always installed on your phone, they can save you so many troubles. I always use the free app Maps.Me.


For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:

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  • Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
  • I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Poland too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. If you like what you are reading and seeing here and would like to support me and my blog please consider using those links. It would be like getting me a virtual drink that you don’t have to pay for! Thanks!

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Disclaimer: My trip was in partnership with Stare Kino Cinema Residence but as always all opinions are 100% mine.


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49 Comments

  • Reply
    Maria Emília Melo
    25/09/2016 at 19:14

    A great and unforgetable surprise!

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:06

      indeed!!

  • Reply
    Marina Furdyna
    25/09/2016 at 19:33

    no nie, wlasnie jak doslownie 5 minut temu wrocilam! ale przyda sie na kolejny wyjazd :)

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:05

      super! i jak wrażenia z Łodzi? :)

  • Reply
    Igor Lenivtsev
    25/09/2016 at 19:43

    amazing! just on time! going there next sunday!

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:05

      nice! I’m really curious if you’re going to like it!

    • Reply
      Igor Lenivtsev
      26/09/2016 at 19:08

      I’ll let you know:-)

  • Reply
    Filip | Głodny swiata
    25/09/2016 at 20:48

    Obiecałem sobie, że Łódź będzie jednym z pierwszych kierunków zwiedzania w PL po powrocie do kraju. Nakręciłaś mnie na nią tymi pięknymi fotkami jeszcze bardziej :D. Dzięki!

    • Reply
      kami
      04/10/2016 at 21:27

      Polecam się :) Łódź naprawdę daje radę, sama byłam zaskoczona!

  • Reply
    Marcin Wesołowski
    26/09/2016 at 06:47

    Wygląda zachęcająco, na tyle, aby pojechać przełamać własne stereotypy o tym miejscu!

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:04

      polecam bardzo!

  • Reply
    Joanna Ejsmont Lisowska
    26/09/2016 at 07:37

    właśnie wróciłam z babskiego weekendu w górach a dawno nie byłyśmy w mieście.. no więc już wiem jaka będzie nasza kolejna destynacja:)

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:04

      doskonały wybór!

  • Reply
    Piotr Goroh
    26/09/2016 at 07:45

    mocno odbiega od obrazu miasta w mojej głowie, na plus, Kilka ładnych lat sie w PL nie było…

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:04

      polskie miasta bardzo się zmieniają i na szczęście idą w dobrym kierunku :)

  • Reply
    Monika Marcinkowska
    26/09/2016 at 08:48

    Hm… Łódź pamiętam miło, ale bez zachwytów. Może powinnam wybrać się ponownie? :)

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:04

      zdecydowanie! aż takiego wow się tam nie spodziewałam!

  • Reply
    Joanna Lenart
    26/09/2016 at 09:17

    Właśnie mam w planach Łódź! Odkąd pisałam pracę licencjacką o turystyce przemysłowej, strasznie ciągnie mnie do industrialnych klimatów :)

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:04

      to Łódź na pewno Ci się spodoba! Industrialna jest bardzo!

  • Reply
    Piotr Czyszpak
    26/09/2016 at 09:38

    Łódź to właściwie moje drugie miasto :)

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:05

      dobry wybór ;)

  • Reply
    Ewelina Malina
    26/09/2016 at 10:41

    I really need to visit Łodz, not just passing by ;)

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:05

      definitely!

  • Reply
    Evi Mielczarek
    26/09/2016 at 10:42

    Dla mnie to też było ogromne zaskoczenie!

    • Reply
      Kami and the rest of the world
      26/09/2016 at 19:05

      efekt wow był, co :D ?

  • Reply
    Tresvodka.com - Chile
    28/09/2016 at 05:04

    Muszę pokazać Twojego posta moim znajomym, którzy uważają, że Łódź jest brzydka, nudna i niewarta odwiedzin. Kawał dobrej roboty Kami!

    • Reply
      kami
      04/10/2016 at 21:28

      Dzięki! Też ciągle słyszałam takie negatywne opinie o Łodzi, a tu prosze, taka niespodzianka!

  • Reply
    Jasilyn
    28/09/2016 at 06:40

    Wow! I had hearts in my eyes the entire time I read this post. I’ve always wanted to visit Poland, not any city in particular, just to go because I feel like Poland is totally underrepresented in the world of travel. It’s such a big country, yet not many people know much about it. I definitely want to visit Lodz now!

    • Reply
      kami
      04/10/2016 at 21:29

      Thanks! And you are so right! I can see that people only know Cracow and sometimes 2-3 other cities but that’s about it. And since Poland is such a huge country we really have a lot of places we can be proud of, and Lodz is definitely one of them! You should come and see it yourself!

  • Reply
    Mr_Szpak
    28/09/2016 at 09:40

    Super zdjęcia choć trochę idealizują Łódź :P, moje drugie miasto w którym mam sporo znajomych i siostrę. Jeszcze powinnaś odwiedzić osobliwe Muzeum Kanału w Łodzi. :)

    • Reply
      kami
      04/10/2016 at 21:39

      nie wiem czy idealizują czy nie, mnie się taka Łódź przez ten weekend objawiła i mnie zachwyciła. o tym muzeum słyszałam sporo, ale czasu nie starczyło niestety.

  • Reply
    Darek
    28/09/2016 at 12:57

    I dig cities that combine rich history with industrial atmosphere, so sure – I Łódź really like to go there someday :)

    • Reply
      kami
      04/10/2016 at 21:40

      it’s kind of like Ostrava, isn’t it :) ? once you’re back in this part of the world we will go there together – Łódź you like that ;) ?

  • Reply
    Mmalena
    28/09/2016 at 19:06

    Mam w głowie taki szary, bury obraz Łodzi sprzed kilku lat, a na Twoich zdjęciach jest niesamowita. Piękna kolorystyka zdjęć, oglądam i oglądam i nie mogę się oderwać. Chyba rozważę wiosenny wypad do tego miasta.

    • Reply
      kami
      04/10/2016 at 21:48

      Koniecznie! Ja w sumie pierwszy raz byłam turystycznie, zawsze tylko gdzieś przejazdem mijałam, i byłam zachwycona! Fantastyczne miasto!

  • Reply
    12 of the Best Cities for Street Art in Europe - Eternal Arrival
    04/10/2016 at 13:25

    […] Łódź (pronounced “woodge”), a city in central Poland with a rich industrial heritage, is probably the most alternative and creative place in Central Europe. One of the ways to redefine the present of the city was street art. Łódź was probably the first city in Poland where murals were introduced, playing an important role in shaping the cityscape. In 2009 the local foundation Urban Forms invited local and international world famous artists (INTI, ROA, or Etam Cru just to name few) to create art on the walls of Łódź. What we can see now is a great urban gallery, perfectly fitting the vibe of the city. The best way to enjoy Łódź street art is to download the map from the foundation’s website and track down all the works – there are over 30 of them marked there, but that’s not all Łódź has to offer! […]

  • Reply
    Podróżnicze podsumowanie 2016 roku - Kto podróżuje ten żyje dwa razy
    20/12/2016 at 06:30

    […] jednak ciągle coś stawało mi na drodze. W końcu zorganizowałyśmy się wspólnie z Kami z Kami and the rest of the world i wyskoczyłyśmy na weekend. Łódź to dla mnie miejsce szczególne, gdzie w końcu zrozumiałam […]

  • Reply
    EUGiu
    05/10/2017 at 07:23

    Coming to Poland for the first time in January (I know…the weather…but flights are so cheap!!) and I am really happy I found this article. I’ll definitely stop in Lodz. Will we be able to enjoy it all in that period? Thanks, great blog as usual :)

    • Reply
      kami
      11/10/2017 at 12:04

      To be honest Lodz might be a little grey and depressing in January – you can go there for a day or so but it won’t be as great as in the summertime. Still I hope you will have a great trip!

  • Reply
    Dorota
    10/08/2018 at 20:05

    Sympatyczna relacja i autentyczna zacheta do odwiedzenia Lodzi. Zupelnie przypadkowo na tygodniowy wypoczynek w Polsce wybralismy z mezem sposrod wielu miast wlasnie Lodz (choc ja jestem wierna turystka malenkiego Inowroclwia i pobliskiego Torunia). A Pani relacja tylko potwierdza ze to dobry wybor. Czekamy do wrzesnia i bedac w Lodzi na pewno skorzystamy z Pani bloga!Lodzianie powinni byc Pani wdzieczni za tak mila reklame ich piekniejacego miasta!

    • Reply
      kami
      11/08/2018 at 13:29

      Dziękuję bardzo za ten przemiły komentarz Pani Doroto! Mam nadzieję, że Łódź się Państwu spodoba tak samo jak mi się podobała! Proszę koniecznie dać znać po powrocie jak było! Udanej podróży!

  • Reply
    Ryan
    12/08/2018 at 09:34

    Loved reading this thank you! Visited Gdansk earlier this year and fell in love with Poland – with street art being a particular highlight! A few friends want me to take them to Gdansk in a couple of months but I may have to divert the trip here instead ?

    • Reply
      kami
      19/08/2018 at 09:31

      Łódź is really big on street art so I think you might really like it there! And the rest of the city is pretty awesome too but not as picture-perfect-pretty like Gdańsk so it all depends on what your friends like. But no matter what you choose you’ll enjoy it for sure!

  • Reply
    Daniel De Wit
    08/02/2019 at 18:58

    We go to Lodz in august for a week. Thank you for this fascinating article.

    • Reply
      kami
      12/02/2019 at 13:54

      I hope you will have a great time! August is a good time to visit Łódź :)

  • Reply
    Mariana van Aswegen
    26/02/2019 at 12:08

    What can I expect of the weather during September? Just cold or rainy as well?

    • Reply
      kami
      26/02/2019 at 17:30

      Septembers in Poland are usually warm (but not hot anymore) and sunny but of course rain might happen. You can check the past weather at Accuweather, that’s what I always do when planning a trip somewhere

  • Reply
    basia
    15/07/2020 at 11:00

    Cieszę się, że trafiłam na twojego bloga. Nigdy nie byłam w Łodzi i chyba czas to zmienić.

    • Reply
      kami
      20/07/2020 at 08:52

      Zdecydowanie, Łódź jest super!

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