Łódź
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At a glance
- Country
- Poland
- Region
- Łódź Voivodeship
- Population
- 650,000
- Best time to go
- May to September
- Main airport
- Łódź Władysław Reymont (LCJ)
- Coordinates
- 51.76°N, 19.46°E
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Overview
Łódź grew rich in the 19th century on cotton, and its mill owners filled the city with palaces, factories and grand tenements. After the industry collapsed, the red-brick mills found new lives as shopping centres, lofts and museums.
It is less polished than Kraków and far less visited, which is part of its appeal. Expect street art, a strong film heritage, one of the world's oldest modern art museums and a main street made for wandering.
Things to see
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Photo: WrS.tm.pl, Public domain Piotrkowska Street
A four-kilometre street of grand façades, courtyards and restaurant terraces running through the centre.
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Photo: Michał Węzowski, CC BY-SA 4.0 Manufaktura
Izrael Poznański's vast textile complex, reborn as a shopping and entertainment centre with a huge brick square.
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Photo: Michał Tomczak, CC BY-SA 4.0 Księży Młyn
A former workers' estate of red-brick houses and mills, peaceful and atmospheric to walk around.
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Photo: Scotch Mist, CC BY-SA 4.0 Poznański Palace
The opulent home of the city's richest industrialist, now the Museum of the City of Łódź.
Tickets and tours -
Photo: MOs810, CC BY 4.0 Museum of Art
A pioneering modern art collection spread across sites including the ms2 gallery in a converted mill.
Tickets and tours
Things to do
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Photo: Zorro2212, CC BY-SA 3.0 Mural hunting
Dozens of large-scale murals cover the sides of tenements across the centre. Pick up a map and wander.
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Evening at OFF Piotrkowska
A former cotton mill turned into a cluster of bars, cafés and design shops.
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Photo: Nikodem Nijaki, CC BY-SA 3.0 Remember the Litzmannstadt Ghetto
Visit the Radegast station memorial and the vast New Jewish Cemetery to understand the city's wartime history.
Where to stay
Śródmieście
Around Piotrkowska, the best choice for restaurants, nightlife and walking.
Hotels in ŚródmieścieNear Manufaktura
Good for hotels in converted mills and easy access to shops and museums.
Hotels in Near ManufakturaKsięży Młyn
Quiet and historic, with loft apartments in former factory buildings.
Hotels in Księży Młyn
Getting around
Trams cover most of the city and the centre is walkable. City bikes and taxis are easy to find.
Łódź airport has few flights, so most visitors fly to Warsaw; trains from Warsaw to Łódź Fabryczna take around an hour and a half.
When to go
Late spring and summer are best, when the café terraces on Piotrkowska are full. Winters are cold and grey. The city's festivals, including a light festival in autumn, are worth timing a visit around.
Plan your trip to Łódź
Guide last checked October 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.