Not the typical city that will appear on travelers radar, Lodz is still worth a visit on an itinerary as its central location makes it logistically easy to include while traveling from Wroclaw to Warsaw or on the way north towards Gdansk. It doesn’t pack a lot to see compared to other polish cities, but I can expect its popularity will continue growing in the next few years.
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The “One Street” City of Poland
As local people like to joke about it, if you get even one street away from Piotrkowska Street you are out of bounds. That is actually very close to the truth as Piotrkowska is definitely the highlight of Lodz and where most of the interesting sightseeing areas are located. If I ever come back to Lodz, I would try to find a hotel or apartment straight off the street and try not to go further, exception made for the Manufaktura complex area just a few streets away. If you stick to Piotrkowska, you will love Lodz. It seems that all the local people in town stay around here and fill the dozens of restaurant, cafes and bar terraces on offer. The architecture is fabulous, having been preserved quite nicely through world war 2 and renovated with the colorful style of Polish cities.
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Manufaktura is the other highlight of Lodz, an impressive industrial zone that was refurbished in a beautifully modern yet historical complex with malls and restaurants where people come in masses to enjoy a more modern side of Lodz, other than Piotrkowska Street. And the contrast is fabulous and refreshing. I found myself spending a lot of time in Manufaktura since I had found an apartment close to the old Jewish center which is just nearby.
An interesting fact about the old center of the city is that it is mostly abandoned and is turning to ruins. For such an important part of the city, I was impressed that city regulators haven’t concentrated more efforts to make renovations and revive it. Some even told me the area is now considered dangerous…
Best 2 Days Itinerary in Łódź
Visiting Lodz is a pretty simple experience as most of the interesting sights are located on Piotrkowska Street and Manufactura. Start your day with coffee on Piotrkowska street and continue down to see the beautiful Art Nouveau buildings. The street is filled with statues that helped reshape the history of the now famous avenue. In front of the Grand Hotel is the Aleja Gwiazd, and further ahead you will see the statue of Rubinstein’s Piano. Another interesting one is Reymont’s Chest showing the Nobel prize winner. After lunch at one of the terraces on Piotrkowska street, head to the Museum of Ethnography & Archeology and then the Historical Museum of Lodz. Alternatively, you can pay a visit to the Modern Arts Museum which has become popular with tourists in recent years.
The next day, head to the new highlight of Lodz: Manufaktura. Built in a Massive Textile factory that employed 4000 people, this massive complex houses a Mall and many restaurants and activities. You can go shopping for pretty much any famous brand and will find many great restaurant chains. Try the Manufaktura Museum where more information will be found about the renovation of Manufaktura from an industrial complex to what it is now. In the afternoon, you can visit The Łódź Ghetto and Cemetery where Over 160 000 people are buried. Another interesting sight to visit is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Karl Scheibler Chapel.
Main Piotrkowska Street
Top 10 Things to do in Łódź
- Manufaktura
- Park of Survivors
- Piotrkowska Street
- Herbst Palace Museum
- Museum of the City of Lodz
- City Arts Gallery
- Jewish Quarter
- Priest’s Mill
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
- Museum of Arts
Top Rated and Recommended Cafes in Łódź
- Tubajka w Domku
- Przedza
- Owoce i Warzywa
- Niebostan
- The Brick Coffee Factory
Top Rated and Recommended Restaurants in Łódź
- Gastromachina Stacja
- Ato Sushi
- Zielony Chrzan
- Mare e Monti
- Manekin
- Mangal
- Montag
- Pit Stop
- Anatewka
- Pasta GO!
Łódź In Pictures
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