Lodz

Lodz, Poland

Lodz, Poland’s third largest city and a former textile industry stronghold, today is a center for modern technologies, a city of culture and grand events. It is a metropolis where a landscape of industrial architecture mixes with silhouettes of 20th century office buildings, production halls, culture and sporting facilities. Lodz is perfect for anyone wanting to get a glimpse of exciting, modern Poland, so come before it settles firmly on the tourist radar.

Population:

City: 696,708 (2016)
Metropolitan Area: 1,428,600

Currency:

Polish Zloty (PLN)

Emergency Numbers:

112 all-European emergency number

999 ambulance/ 998 fire/ 997 police

Opening Hours:

Shops are open 8am-6pm (many on the main street until 7pm, shopping centres are open until 10pm). Banks are open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm and Sat 10am-2pm.

Newspapers:

Gazeta Wyborcza (Daily Polish newspaper)
The Warsaw Voice (Weekly English newspaper)
Lodz in your Pocket (Seasonal magazine)

The City

Once known as “Manchester of Poland” on account of its numerous brick and cast iron factory buildings, Lodz (pronounced “woodge”) is a place that offers something for everyone. It has long been the centre of the vibrant Polish film industry – it is sometimes affectionately known as “Holly-lodz” – and is one of the country’s cultural and industrial centres.

A mere 96 miles from Warsaw, Lodz is centred around Ulica Piotrkowska, the city’s main pedestrianised boulevard – the longest pedestrianised street in Europe, in fact – which stretches nearly four kilometres from Plac Wolnosci in the north to Aleja Pilsudskiego in the south. Lined with shops and museums, it also contains dozens of grand Baroque, Art Nouveau and Secession-style buildings which once belonged to the city’s wealthy industrialists. It is also the location for most of the city’s tourist sights as well as many of its better cafés, restaurants, bars and night spots. Other central streets proffer some of the most impressive and opulent palaces and manor homes, especially along ul. Ogrodowa, ul. Gdanska and plac Zwyciestwa.

Lodz is also an incredibly green city, holding over 30 municipal parks. The best one is the verdant Lagiewniki Forest, the largest city park in Europe and a perfect spot for an afternoon stroll.

Do & See

Lodz is known for its cultural attractions and art galleries, like the Modern Art Museum which houses one of the best collections of contemporary artwork in Poland. You will also find plenty of museums displaying the city's rich heritage and history like the Historical Museum of Lodz and Museum of Ethnography and Archaeology.

Dining

Given its sizable and cosmopolitan population, it comes as little surprise that Lodz has an excellent selection of dining establishments. The majority of places serving great Polish food are situated along ul. Piotrkowska, but if you venture just off this main drag, you’ll find some interesting and unique food offerings, including several popular ethnic restaurants ranging from Balkan to Cuban to French.

Bars & Nightlife

Lodz’s selection of drinking establishments ranges from gritty student pubs for downing pints to fashionable and trendy places to sip a cocktail and people-watch the nouveau riche and fashionable. The greatest majority are placed around the most central blocks of ul. Piotrkowska.

Thanks to its active and sophisticated student population, Lodz’s nightlife rivals some of the best places to dance in Europe. Put away any thoughts of Poland being old, grey and communist and put on your dancing shoes on instead.