5 Reasons to Visit the Creative City of Lodz, Poland

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Poland as a tourist destination is still coming into its own. While people are rightly excited about places like Warsaw and Krakow, smaller or less conventional cities are still sorely overlooked. Lodz in central Poland was one such city, but after making Lonely Planet’s 2019 list of budget destinations, things are bound to change.

Reading Lonely Planet’s list I was excited and pleased to see Lodz included. Having visited earlier this year I totally get it. What makes Lodz such a fascinating destination in Poland is how wildly different it is from other major attractions. Compared to Krakow, Warsaw or Gdansk, a visit to Lodz shows you a completely different side to the country. Here are the 5 first reasons that spring to mind for why you should visit Lodz.

An Alternative City

Start your Lodz visit out on the wrong foot and it’s easy to worry that it’s a rundown, grey place. Lodz is certainly a city in transition so yes it does have some rough edges. But give it even a little chance and it will soon begin to reveal its charms to you. Many of the things to do in Lodz come from its more recent history and its creative approach to the future.

Sure, the city doesn’t have the conventional Old Town you so often find in Poland, but that’s just fine. To visit Lodz is to try to see Poland in a new, decidedly alternative, light. A great example of how different the attractions in Lodz are is the complex of Księży Młyn.

Translating as “priest’s mill”, Księży Młyn is a former industrial mill that was a major business in the 19th century. It was so important it had its own train station, hospital and fire brigade. Today, the remaining factories and tenements house families, cafes like Kreatoora and a general sense of promise that it will find new life, somehow.

A Hub of Creativity and Street Art

The most obvious trait that comes through when visiting Lodz is that it’s a cradle of creativity and artistic expression. This seems to be the thread that the city is following as it evolves and boy is it the right one. Emphasising reinvention, ingenuity and spurning convention is how the city will become a truly unique destination in Poland.

While much of this creativity is out there to be seen, it turns out it’s not all easily seen. For example, I found it curious to read that Lodz was fast becoming a hub for local filmmakers. It is the city’s work with film that has earned it a place in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a “City of Film“.

The real star of the show though is the countless awesome pieces of street art in Lodz. Scattered throughout the city centre up to the Old Town you’ll find great big murals that take over the side of a building. Some maps plot out many of the pieces, but I’d argue not all, so it’s worth wandering as well. I could probably have just done a whole article showcasing the street art I found during my time in Lodz, but here were my favourites.

A Few of the Classic Sights

Despite its unconventional nature, you will find that Lodz also has some more typical sights to see. While quite nice, I’d argue that they’re not enough on their own to keep you entertained. No, you need Lodz’s offbeat and artistic elements to make the city what it is.

That said, you can’t visit Lodz without coming to the simply classic Piotrkowska Street. This grand long pedestrian street effectively takes the place of a main square, acting as the city’s beating heart. Along it you’ll find plenty of remarkable buildings, not to mention outdoor seating for cafes, bars and restaurants galore.

Other noteworthy landmarks in the middle of Lodz include the Izrael Poznański Palace with its dignified architecture and the enticing presence of the Parafia Zesłania Ducha Świętego church. Besides a few other churches and parks, most of the Lodz sights aren’t all that traditional.

All Sorts of Architecture

My first real exposure to Lodz was seeing several photos of old industrial buildings in a complex that had been converted. This turned out to be the Manufaktura complex, something I knew I had to visit in person. Featuring shops, cinemas and even a cultural centre incorporating multiple museums, Manufaktura in the Lodz Old Town has been transformed to serve the community.

What struck me though was the architecture of the complex, with the bright red brick and huge factory windows. I like to call this design Neo-Industrial architecture, but have no idea what it’s actually called in architectural circles. Another great example in Lodz is the Planetarium EC1 just over the way from the equally eye-catching Łódź Fabryczna train station. It seems to be a special obsession in central Poland, as I first encountered this type of thing in Poznan.

But it’s not all gentrification and modernity here. Lodz still has its fair share of Renaissance-era and art nouveau architecture. A walk along Piotrkowska Street with its various palaces and buildings shows the city still has some ties to its past, even though quite a few buildings were demolished. The one constant with Piotrkowska Street though is that it has a sense of grandeur that has sadly been lost elsewhere in the city.

Another Side to Polish Food

Lodz’s creative nature doesn’t just stop at art, film and architecture though. Food also seems to have been given the modern treatment. Maybe that’s to be expected from Poland’s third-biggest city, but still, it was yet another exciting development. Rather than milk bars or traditional Polish cuisine, the range of restaurants seemed to be more international and more adventurous.

This approach was most felt in the OFF Piotrkowska development found as its name suggests, off Piotrkowska Street. Found in and around an old industrial site, this complex has everything from food trucks to chic restaurants and bars. There’s a reason that visiting this cool, reclaimed space is on many a Lodz travel guide.

But sure, some places do local cuisine mixed with traditional elements from elsewhere in Eastern Europe like Servantka Restaurant with its Ukrainian dishes. And of course, there’s always eating delicious pączki, the perfect Polish doughnuts that I can’t get enough of. They’re found everywhere, especially at places like Manufaktura and Piotrkowska Street. Just so hard to stop at one.

Visiting Lodz Poland

One of the great things about visiting Lodz is that it’s possible to do as a day trip from Warsaw. Taking only 1 hour 20 minutes by train, a day trip to Lodz is probably your best choice when looking to get out of the Polish capital. Warsaw also happens to be the closest major city to Lodz, so it’s a natural fit. I’d also argue that you can hope to see a lot of the city within a day, making it an all-around good idea.

But perhaps it’s my experience with accommodation in Lodz that is driving the idea of a day trip. My choice of where to stay in Lodz was a rather barebones hotel that was so mediocre it’s not worth mentioning either way. Especially when there are plenty of places to stay in Lodz, across all budgets. If you do have the money, however, I have heard good things about the lux Vienna House Andel’s right by Manufaktura.

Have you ever visited Lodz in Poland before? How much sway does being included on a Lonely Planet list have with you? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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