Have you been to Lodz, the groovy city in Poland? (It’s actually Łódź, to be very correct). This is where I come from, and spent the first 25 years of my life (before I arrived in England).
I’ve just come back from a short trip to Lodz – I try to visit the homeland once a year. And so I thought I’d tell you a bit more about the city that I grew up in.
A Super Brief History of Lodz
I won’t bore you with loads of historical facts of Lodz. Although its history is pretty fascinating, to be honest.
If you googled ‘Lodz’, you’d find out that it was set up in 14th century. Its name, which means ‘a boat’, doesn’t come from the name of any river. In fact, it comes from the name of a family whose coat of arms had a boat on it.
The groovy city used it to be second biggest city in Poland; now it’s the third on the list, preceded by Warsaw, and Krakow. Over the years, a lot has changed, naturally. Lodz has had its highs and lows, it was destroyed heavily during the Wars, and used to be quite grey. During the WW2, there was a Nazi camp which was burnt down with people – Jews et al. – still in it. There is a museum there now, and I would pass it every time I’d go into town. It’s quite harrowing – but a must visit.
Through the centuries, Lodz was famous for its textile industry. You can see the remnants of it throughout the city.
And the place is famous for its architecture dating back to 19th and 20th century.
And now … things are definitely better than they used to be. For example, The Telegraph called it “The Best City you can’t pronounce” 🙂
Why is Lodz a groovy city?
So now that I’ve given you a very brief history of Lodz, let me tell you about it from my perspective.
I’ll start with the fact that I liked living in Lodz. It actually never crossed my mind to move, or to look into living somewhere else.
This is the city I went to all schools and university. And I loved my studying years. Lodz is actually always full of students, both Polish and international ones, because it has quite a few higher education academies. And it always welcomes foreign students 🙂
And because of this student vibe, there is always something great to do or see.
My uni years were full of eventful outings to pubs, cinemas, or house parties (and some studying too!). What helped – and still does – is the fabulous public transport in Lodz. In fact, you don’t need to learn to drive (which is why I never did while living in Poland). Getting back home from a night out doesn’t have to cost you a fortune because you can catch a night bus or tram. Though I tended to simply walk back home through the empty streets of the sleepy city.
What to do in Lodz
There are tons of articles of what to do in Lodz, so let me briefly tell you what I love doing in my home city.
Piotrkowska Street
This is the longest straight street in Europe. A few years back, it looked horrendous. However, thanks to a lot of investment, it’s now transformed and is a truly beautiful and groovy place to go to.
What can you do in Piotrkowska Street? You’ll find countless restaurants, pubs, cafes, and shops along this street. If you lift your head, you’ll see restored buildings dating back to 19th century. If you look down, you’ll see the Hall of Fame stars for various film icons.
In summer, you’ll be tempted to sit in a beer garden every few meters. In winter, you’ll be welcomed to cosy coffee shops (that don’t close at 5pm!) or pubs. You will not ever be bored. Or hungry for that matter.
Manufaktura
This complex of buildings used to be the place where various textiles were produced. The buildings fell into ruin for various economic reasons, and the site looked horrible and off-putting.
This was the case until an idea was born to renovate it and turn into a place brimming with music, light, food, drink, and events.
This is what it is now. Manufaktura consists of a huge shopping centre, countless restaurants, a cinema complex, a bowling alley, Experymentarium, Museum of Manufaktura, Museum of Art, a dance studio, a climbing wall… And bonus – the place looks phenomenal. Have a look at everything that Manufaktura offers.
D at Manufaktura 
A different type of Iron Chair
Film Art capital
Lodz has got many cinemas, and is also home to the famous Film School.
The cinemas cater for all types of tastes. If you are after IMAX, regular cinema screens, or something for a more refined cinema-goers, you’ll find it in Lodz.
The Film School is one of the oldest of this type in the world. Its alumni include directors such as Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polanski, Krzysztof Kieslowski, cinematographers such as Slawomir Idziak, Dariusz Wolski, or Hoyte Van Hoytema, to name a few.
Because of its film scene, Lodz was chosen to be the home for Camerimage, the International Film Festival for the Art of Cinematography. It launched in 1993 in Lodz, and I worked as a volunteer at this festival for a few years. The festival is no longer in Lodz – it’s now in Torun (lucky Torun). I loved being part of this festival. I met so many incredible film people, and learned to look at the art of the cinema from more than one angle.
Wall Murals and Street Art
If you have some time, I’d encourage you to devote a few hours to spotting graffiti art in Lodz. The street art and wall murals dotted around the city are another reason why Lodz is indeed a groovy city.
This blog very nicely lists all the street art that is worth exploring.
Have a look at some of them – they are just incredible.
There is loads more to do in Lodz. You can see historical sites such as the Jewish museum or Herbst Palace Museum. Do shopping in one of the shopping malls, go ice-skating…
However, I dare say that Lodz may not be interesting for everyone. If you’re after pretty palaces like the ones in Krakow, or breath-taking views that you can marvel at in the mountains, you won’t find them here.
But if you feel like experiencing a different type of a city than Warsaw or Krakow, and be immersed in a groovy vibe – then you’ll love Lodz.
I certainly did and still do.
Have you been to Lodz? Did you enjoy it?
