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Łódź

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Łódź has plenty of interesting architecture
Łódź has plenty of interesting architecture

Łódź [1] (Pronounced: Wooj) is Poland's third biggest city and an important industrial centre. The city, dubbed the Polish Manchester, has been famous for its textile industry, flourishing especially during the fin de siècle. The movie Promised Land [2] based on a novel by the Nobel laureate Władysław Reymont, depicts those times. Łódź is the capital of the Łódzkie Voivodship.

[edit] Understand

The exact origin of the city's name is unknown, however, the word łódź translates to "boat" in English. This is referred to in the emblem and when you hear the dwellers of Łódź (łodzianin (men) łodzianka (women) łodzianie (plural)) calling themselves "the boat people".

A settlement on the area of present-day Łódź was first established in the 14th century and in 1423 it has been granted a town charter, along with the right to have a marketplace. However, the real development of Łódź starts with the industrial era at the beginning of the 19th century when the city was chosen to be the heart of the rapidly-growing textile industry. The population of Łódź soared from some 4k people in the 1830s and 40k in 1865 to over 300k inhabitants at the turn of the century, which was an unprecedented growth on a worldwide scale.

The rapid development of Łódź in the second half of the 19th century was brought about by the rise of enormous industrialist fortunes. New inhabitants, craftsmen and merchants came to Łódź; markets and town fairs came to life. The profits obtained from prosperous textile mills opened up practically unlimited possibilities for their owners. The city residences became expressions of the riches and power of the local tycoons. They were usually situated next to the owner's factory.

Andrzej Wajda's movie "The Promised Land" portrays Łódź's 19th century heyday.

Ever since the industrial revolution bringing a massive influx of workforce, Łódź has been a city almost equally divided between four cultures - Polish, Jewish, German and Russian. The day before the outbreak of World War II, Łódź was inhabited by approximately 672,000 people, among whom 35% were of Jewish faith and some 15% were ethnic German.

During the Nazi occupation, Łódź was incorporated directly into the Third Reich. The city was renamed to Litzmannstadt, and Piotrkowska Street was called Adolf-Hitler-Strasse. Although the city was not destroyed in the aftermath, the material losses were serious as the machinery, raw materials and finished goods have been taken away by the fleeing Nazis.

The day before the liberation, about 80,000 Germans left Łódź in panic. At the beginning of 1945, the number of population was estimated at 300,000.

In recent years, Łódź was seemingly forgotten by the government, investors, and travelers in favor for other cities, such as Krakow, Warsaw, and Wroclaw. As a result, there's a strange atmosphere in Łódź – streets are littered with cracks and potholes, soviet architecture can be the norm in some areas, and for a city of 760,000 aglomeration 1.428,000 there doesn't seem to be much, at first glance – compared to Warsaw , which are revered for their many qualities. However, there are signs of this changing now with Łódź campaigning and redesigning itself as a up-and-coming destination. To accomplish this, Łódź has been capitalizing on it's film history – Łódź is jokingly referred to as the "HollyŁódź" of Poland – by creating and hosting several film festivals. Łódź has also begun actively campaigning to be the European Capital of Culture in 2016 [3].

Łódź today may not have the glitz and glamour of its heyday, however there is a certain charm to Łódź in its partially renovated façades and leitmotivs, not to mention its large artistic traditions, even if not immediately evident. With a little bit of persistence, you'll see the magic Łódź has to offer. For a different and eye-opening experience of the world and its cultures, Łódź is certainly a recommended destination.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport [4] (IATA: LCJ, ICAO: EPLL) used to be a charter-only airport for many years but it is now changing with Ryanair [5] flying to:

Besides, LOT [6] maintains a connection with Warsaw (you may prefer to take a train instead - however flying from Lodz is recommended if you have immediate onward flight from Warsaw) and there are numerous sky taxis operating (see the airport's website).

Łódź Fabryczna railway station
Łódź Fabryczna railway station

[edit] By train

See also: Poland - Get in - By train.

  • Łódź Fabryczna is a centrally-located terminal station for domestic trains (but the announcements are in English too). All trains to Warsaw leave from this station.
  • Łódź Kaliska is the station for transit trains and has connections with most major cities in Poland.

[edit] By car

The nearby city of Stryków will soon become an important highway junction and when it happens Łódź will probably have the best road connections among all Polish cities. The people in the city are very enthusiastic about it [7], despite the fact that the development plans have been changing constantly over the last decade so there is no real guarantee even now that they will be carried out. For now:

  • The  A2   E30  is finished to Poznań and partly to Berlin (there is a 100-km gap before the border), substituting  2 
  • A small part of  A1  around Łódź, which is planned to substitute the  1   E75  road between Gdańsk and Katowice, the most congested road in Poland, is also ready.

The planned  A8  highway to Wrocław has been downgraded in plans to  S8  expressway.

[edit] By bus

Polski Express and ELA that used to connect Lodz to Warsaw and other major cities do not operate anymore. There is number of small minibus and bus companies that offer connections between Lodz and number of cities (big and small) around Poland. There also some minibuses that go to Okęcie airport. You should be able to find most up to date information on Lodz Fabryczna station.

Eurolines [8] traffic Lodz from Berlin and other european cities.

[edit] Get around

The Ultimate Tram

Łódź was one of the first cities in Poland to have trams in 1898 and today it has the longest tram link in Europe between Chocianowice and Ozorków (34 km).

Public transport is operated by MPK Łódź [9]. The descriptions on bus stops are in Polish only. See the Polish phrasebook if you feel uncomfortable. The schedules are here: [10].

Taxis are another option, and they are quite cheap for a Westerner. However, one should be sure that there is a taxi sign atop the cab and that the driver has a permit. 9622, 6400400 and 9191 are some of the known companies and they all have exactly same prices.

Rickshaws. On Piotrkowska Street, you can travel any distance with them for 2.50 zł per person. It gets to 4.00 zł in the night and most of the rikshaw drivers will take you out of Piotrkowska if you offer to pay more.

[edit][add listing] See

Piotrkowska Street
Piotrkowska Street
  • Piotrkowska street.[11]
  • Księży Młyn. [12]
  • Jewish cemetery. [13]
  • Litzmannstadt Ghetto. The Litzmannstadt Ghetto was the second largest Jewish Ghetto in Poland after the Warsaw Ghetto. The Ghetto is both referred to as the Lodz Ghetto and the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, named after the German General who captured the city. The city was renamed Litzmannstadt in honor of the General during the German occupation. The ghetto is different from many of the other large ghettos, because it was the last ghetto to be liquidated due to the high productivity of the slave laborers and no armed resistance was ever formed.  edit
  • Old Market Square Was once incorporated into the Ghetto. It now serves as a venue for concerts and fairs.
  • The Decalogue Memorial is a tribute to the coexistence of Poles and Jews. The memorial is located close to the Old Market Square.

[edit] Museums & Art Galleries

  • Muzeum Sztuki, ul. Więckowskiego 36 (Corner. of ul. Gdanska), (, fax: +48 (42) 632 99 41), [14]. Hours: Monday: closed, Tuesday: 10 - 17, Wednesday: 11 - 17, Thursday: 12 - 19, Friday: 11 - 17, Saturday: 10 - 16, Sunday: 10 - 16. It was one of the first museums of modern art in Europe and it has a really impressing collection of Polish and international 20th century art. The building itself belonged to the Poznański family, same as the palace where Muzeum Historii Miasta Łodzi is located. (Tip: after leaving the museum take Gdańska street and go 50 meters up north to see the beautiful building of the Music Academy - previously also one of the houses of Izrael Poznański. If you are confident enough you can go in (entrance on ul. 1 Maja) to see an elegant stain glass window on the first floor.) Admission: Adults: 7,00 zł, Families: 13,00 zł; Temporary exhibitions: Adults: 4,00 zł, Reduced ticket: 3,00 zł; Free admission on Thursdays.  edit
  • Muzeum Historii Miasta Łodzi (Museum of History of City Lodz), ul. Ogrodowa 15 (Corner ul. Zachodnia), ☎ +48 (42) 6540323 (, fax: +48 (42) 6540323), [15]. Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday: 10.00 - 16.00, Wednesday: 14.00 - 18.00, Thursday: 10.00 - 16.00, Friday: 10.00 - 14.00, Saturday: 10.00 - 14.00, Sunday: 10.00 - 14.00. Various beautiful rooms with exhibitions dedicated to some of the most famous people from Lodz including writer Julian Tuwim, pianist Artur Rubenstein, and collections of items from the daily lives of those who have lived in Lodz throughout the years.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Festivals

  • Festival of Dialogue of 4 Cultures, [16]. takes place every September.  edit
  • Camerimage, [17]. International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography usually starts in the last week of November.  edit

[edit] Cinemas

  • Cinema City, ul. Karskiego 5 (Located in Manufaktura), ☎ +48 (42) 664 64 64 (, fax: +48 (42) 664 64 02), [18]. Comfortable, big theater with 14 cinema halls and 1 big IMAX hall offering projections of 3D movies. Movie selection contains the lastest american hits with Polish subtitles.  edit
  • Kino Charlie, ul.Piotrkowska 203/205, ☎ +48 (42) 636 00 92 (), [19]. A nice cinema with mostly interesting programme of (often European and Asian) films, not as commercial as Silver Screen.  edit
  • Kino Cytryna ('The Lemon'), ul. Zachodnia 81/83, ☎ +48 (42) 632-18-59 (), [20]. They have similar repertoire to Charlie (mostly non-American films). If you order in advance they will show a film of your choice. Tickets are either 12 PLN minus 1 PLN discount for each yellow piece of your clothing, or 15 PLN for a pair with a lemon..  edit
  • Silver Screen, ul. Piłsudskiego 5, ☎ +48 (42) 639 58 00, [21]. Silver Screen is just couple tram stops away from Lodz Kaliska train station and offers movie selections usually in English with Polish subtitles. This is one of the better movie theaters in Europe and rivals the theater at the Sony Center on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. Of course, as with all mega film complexes it is more expensive than the local cinemas.  edit

[edit] Theatres

  • Teatr Jaracza [22] on ul.Jaracza 27 is considered one of the best drama theaters in Poland. They play Tuesday to Sunday mid September till mid June. On its 3 performance halls you can see modern Polish and international drama as well as the classics.
  • Teatr Nowy [23] on ul.Więckowskiego 15 and ul. Zachodnia 93 (Mała Sala - small performance hall) offers varied, mostly contemporary repertoire. Also the quality is varied so better ask for advice someone local or ask staff for a honest recommendation. The building served a Jewish cabaret before the WWII and a Jewish theater until 1948 (later it moved to Warsaw).

[edit] Tango

Milongas [24] usually take place on Mondays in Oranżada on ul. Piotrkowska 67 and on Sundays in Klub Mojito on ul. Piotrkowska 143. They usually start at 7-8 p.m. and don't last longer than till 10-12. Several long and short tango courses are usually organized trough the year [25].

[edit] Learn

  • University of Łódź, ul. Narutowicza 65, ☎ +48 (42) 635 43 00 (fax: +48 (42) 665 57 71), [26].  edit
  • The School of Polish for Foreigners in the University of Łódź - Offers courses in Polish for periods of one month, five months, and two nine month programs. [27]
  • Technical University of Łódź, Address, ☎ +48 (42) 636 74 77 (, fax: +48 (42) 636 85 22), [28].  edit
  • Medical University of Łódź, Al. Kościuszki 4, ☎ +48 (42) 632-51-00 (, fax: +48 (42) 630-07-07), [29].  edit
  • The Leon Schiller's National Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre (Panstwowa Wysza Szkola Filmowa Telewizyjna i Teatralna im. L. Schillera), ul.Targowa 61, ☎ +48 (42) 634-58-20 (, fax: +48 (42) 674 81 39), [30]. One of the most famous filmschools in the world, many famous filmmakers such as Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polanski, and Krzystof Kieslowski studied here. And also today there is a very active student community with students from Poland and from abroad.  edit
  • Academy of Humanities and Economics, ☎ +48 (42), [31]. One of the biggest and most renown private universities in Lodz. Offers studies in English.  edit

[edit] Work

Numerous international companies have operations in Lodz, since Lodz is the the second largest city in Poland and has an high amount of technically skilled labor. Native speakers of English, German, French, Spanish and Italian can usually easily find a job in one of many language schools in the city.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Zielony rynek
Zielony rynek
  • The main commercial street in Lodz is Piotrkowska Street, which is supposedly the longest commercial street in the world with a length of four kilometers.
  • Manufaktura, Ul. Ogrodowa 17, ☎ +48 (42) 654 85 00, [32]. Manufaktura is a unique place - an old factory converted into a modern shopping mall. Apart from shops there is a cinema, hotel, museum and art gallery.  edit
  • Galeria Lodzka, Al. Piłsudskiego 15/23, ☎ +48 (42) 639 1500 (fax: +48 (42) 639 1520), [33]. The largest single collection of shops is the Galeria Lodzka - a large mall on ul Pilsudskiego - where you can find almost anything from the latest fashions and expensive perfume, to modern electrical equipment and groceries.  edit
  • Baluty Market (Rynek Bałucki) in the district of Baluty in the north of the city, big open air market, every saturday you can buy here everything from vegetables, over clothes to live pets. Not romantic, but an experience!
  • Dolna-Ceglana Market (Targowisko Dolna-Ceglana) on Dolna Street, the biggest vegatable open air market for individual people (2 minutes away, north from Baluty Market) very offten by mistake named as Rynek Bałucki - but they are two different places.
  • Zielony rynek ("The green market") on Plac Barlickiego (8 minutes away from Piotrkowska St.) is a great place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables as well as bread, meet, homemade honey and other products.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit] Budget

  • Orfeusz, ul. Narutowicza 43, ☎ +48 (42) 631 98 06. Hours: Daily: 11 - 23. International restaurant with traditional Polish and Italian cuisine. There is also a salad bar and a big choice of dishes à la carte. 10 - 32 PLN.  edit
  • Da Grasso, ul. Piotrkowska 88, ☎ +48 (42) 630 09 75 (, fax: +48 (42) 632 80 09), [34]. Daily: 11 - 22, except Sundays when they start at noon and Friday nights when they work till 1 a.m.. Their big pizza is more than enough for 2 hungry people. 15-25 PLN.  edit
  • Green Way, ul. Piotrkowska 80, ☎ +48 (42) 632 08 52, [35]. A vegetarian fast food chain has one restaurant. They also offer free wireless access to the internet. A soup 3 PLN, second plate 6-9 PLN..  edit
  • Bar Mleczny, ul. Andrzeja Struga between ul. Piotrkowska and al. Kościuszki. A typical communist era eatery with prices from 2 decades ago. Probably the best sauerkraut for 2 PLN.  edit

[edit] Mid-range

  • Piotrkowska Klub 97, ul. Piotrkowska 97, ☎ +48 (42) 630-65-73 (, fax: +48 (42) 632-47-14), [36]. Piotrkowska Klub 97 is said to be David Lynch's favorite restaurant in Lodz. Good quality food and wines. There is a Milonga Milonga w Łodzi [37]- a tango evening in one of the halls most of Monday nights (starting around 19.30) /  edit
  • Cafe Tuwim, ul. Pomorska 18, ☎ +48 (42) 631 14 71. Hours: Daily: 10:00 - 22:00. The only glat-kosher restaurant in the city About 30 PLN for one course and a drink.  edit
  • Irish Pub, Piotrkowska 77, ☎ +48 (42) 632 48 76, [38]. Irish atmosphere, cosy interior and wide selection of dishes, including - but not limited to - vegetarian, lunch items, fish, sea food. Live music every night.  edit

[edit] Splurge

[edit][add listing] Drink

Kawiarnia Syrena
Kawiarnia Syrena
  • Pub Lodz Kaliska, ul.Piotrkowska 102, ☎ +48 (42) 630 69 55 (, fax: +48 (42) 630 69 55). One of the most popular pubs in Lodz, an institution! Named after the artist group "Lodz Kaliska". Decorated with pieces of art. On weekends very crowded. A must see are the womens toilets on the first floor!  edit
  • Studio 102, ul. Piotrkowska 102, ☎ +48 (42) 632 15 34 (), [40]. Directly opposite Lodz Kaliska lies a much more laid back and down to earth establishment. Good music and an interesting gallery of pictures on the walls provide welcome refuge from the firday night throngs.  edit
  • Jazzga, ul. Piotrkowska 17, ☎ +48 (42) 630 27 44 (), [41]. Musically off the beaten track. This eclectic venue attracts a wide variety of musicians/performers/DJs ranging from local bands to bearded Japanese psychedelia outfits via German jazz ensembles. Expect the unexpected!  edit
  • Peron 6, ul. Piotrkowska 6, ☎ +48 (42) 639 80 19 (), [42]. Offers a wide selection (160 in total) of beers from all over Poland and the world at varying prices. Recommended by the EU Beer Consumers' union.  edit
  • Zapiecek, ul. Piotrkowska 43, ☎ +48 (0)695 750 081 (), [43]. Very popular with local students and with a stage in the cellar which plays host to musicians playing mainly folk and world music.  edit
  • Rolling Stone, ul. Moniuszki 6, ☎ +48 (42) 633 65 41. A self-styled "English Pub". Here you can sit back on oak pews and laugh at caricatures of the Royal Family and Keith Richards to the sound of The Cure. Is much bigger than it looks from the outside.  edit
  • Mala Litera (Bookshop-Cafe), ul. Nawrot 7, [44]. It is an artistic bookshop with books mostly in English, big range of CDs (mostly classical and ethnic music) and a small cafe. It is one of few places in Lodz where they know how to make a good macchiato. Concerts and meetings with artists are often organized in the evenings. Free Wi-Fi (ask staff for password).  edit
  • Kawiarnia Syrena, ul. Piotrkowska 66. Also known as "u Husajna" o "chez Hussein" offers good coffee, huge ice-cream desserts, milkshakes and truly international atmosphere.  edit
  • Niebieskie Migdały, ul. Sienkiewicza 40 and ul. Piotrkowska 200, ☎ +48 609 511 484, [45]. Offers a wide selection of reasonably priced teas in very pleasant, quiet and comfortable surroundings. Indeed, after five minutes you'll soon forget that you're in Poland's second largest city.  edit
  • Dwie Dłonie, ul. Wólczańska 40/42, ☎ +48 (42) 630 10 05 / +48 (0) 605 99 46 99 (), [46]. The only pub in the city that aimes to integrate those who hear and those who don't. Staff people know Polish sign language [47]. You can have a drink here as well as eat a pizza (9,50-27PLN), play table football, bilard or darts or use internet for 2,50 PLN/h.  edit
  • Irish Pub, Piotrkowska 77, ☎ +48 (42) 632 48 76, [48]. Wide selection of beers - including Guinness and Kilkenny, Irish specialties - wines and other beverages. You can eat as well as have a drink here.  edit
  • Lizard King, ul. Piotrkowska 62, ☎ +48 42 632 13 59, [49]. In a very nice setting decorated with all sort of artifacts and posters about rock culture, you can enjoy live performances from local and national rock bands. Wide choice of drinks and some food too. Beer (Zywiec) is 8 PLN a pint as in most pubs in Lodz.  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Accommodation in Lodz is different from other Polish cities, because a high end hotel here is more like a mid-range hotel in Warsaw or Krakow. Additionally, more modern chain hotels which could be "Budget" hotels in Warsaw may be Mid-range hotels, since they expect to be paid a certain rate in Warsaw and that rate was carried over to the Lodz market.

[edit] Budget

  • Youth Hostel SSM, [50]. Convenient location of the building (city centre, close to railway and bus transport stations) makes people staying here, for the first time even, find their way around the city with great ease.
  • Factory Hostel, (), [51]. First unique hostel in Lodz - coming soon.  edit

  • Hostelling International Youth Hostel, ul. Legionow 27, ☎ +48 (42) 6306680 (, fax: +48 (42) 6306683), [52]. This hostel is located near Ul. Piotrkowska. The rooms are clean, but are very basic in terms of amenities. The hostel hosts large groups of young children that often run around the halls screaming. There's also a curfew requiring guests to be in the hostel no later than 22:59, though its possible to come back at a later time, when arranged in advance. zł 30.00+ (ca. $10+ per person) per night.  edit
  • Helenowek, ul. Okulickiego 10b, ☎ +48 (42) 6582239 (). In the northern outskirts of town, right by a large forest and with a pond on site. Very good tram connections (25-30 min. to the centre). Has a variety of singles, doubles/twins and bigger rooms, which are all en-suite (prices start from zł 75.00) . ===Splurge=== * Orbis Grand Hotel, Ul. Piotrkowska 72, ☎ +48 (42) 633 99 20, [53]. The Grand Hotel is the oldest hotel in Lodz.  edit  edit

[edit] Mid-range

[edit] Contact

[edit] Internet

There is a number of Internet cafes on Piotrkowska and nearby streets.

  • Cafe del mondo on the first floor of 55 Piotrkowska St. building with 3 PLN / hour is popular among foreign students.
  • Internetowa Kawiarnia Spadochronowa - Skydiving Internet Cafe [56] on 41 Narutowicza St. is 5 minutes walk away from Łódź Fabryczna station and works 24/7. 1 PLN / 15 minutes. There are a pub and a pizzeria [57] in the same place.

[edit] Hot Spots

  • PWN Bookshop on ul. Więckowskiego 13 (corner with Zachodnia, just by Teatr Nowy). Open 10:00 - 18:00. You won't get coffee here but the staff is very nice and the bookshop itself has a good choice of academic books (not only). The building served a Jewish school between 1945 and 1968.
  • Greenway on ul. Piotrkowska 80. Open 10:00 - 22:00.
  • Wok Chinese restaurant - one on ul. Piłsudskiego 5 (silver Screen building) and one in Manufaktura (close to the main entry from Ogrodowa St.). Both open till late. A pot of nice green, black or jasmin tea 3 PLN. Chinese dishes 4-6 PLN. Portions are not big but cooks are Chinese and the chain seems to have a good quality control so it's still value for money.
  • Montenegro Balkan Restaurant on ul. Wólczańska 51. Phone: +48 42 6320094.

[edit] Stay safe

Watch out for pickpockets. A common trick for thieves is to operate in groups and create artificial crowds on buses and trams which distract their victims' attention prior to being pickpocketed.

[edit] Beggars

Łódź hasn't been developing as rapidly as some other more successful Polish cities recently and it has some of the poorest urban areas in Poland, but those issues are handled by the government and (especially) the NGOs.

Do not ever give any money to beggars. This applies worldwide.

  • They may be thieves who are just waiting for you to take out your wallet on your own so they could do the rest.
  • The beggars you see in the tourist areas could be "professionals", making up to $1-2k/month during the season (which is quite a salary in Poland).

If you want to help consider donating to an accountable charity, like the Polish Red Cross [58] or Caritas Polska [59]. If you still want to give something to a beggar, offer buying food for them (and notice their reaction).

[edit] Cope

[edit] Get out

Plac Wolności
Plac Wolności
This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!

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