A plan for Łódź

Name and history

The origin of the city's name is unknown, however, the word łódź translates to "boat" in English. This is referred to in the emblem and when you hear the dwellers of Łódź (łodzianin (man) łodzianka (woman) łodzianie (plural)) calling themselves "the boat people".

A settlement on the area of present-day Łódź was established in the 14th century and in 1423 it was granted a town charter, along with the right to have a marketplace. However, the real development of Łódź started with the industrial era at the beginning of the 19th century when the city was chosen to be the heart of the rapidly-growing textile industry. The population of Łódź soared from some 4,000 people in the 1830s and 40,000 in 1865 to over 300,000 inhabitants at the turn of the century, which was an unprecedented growth on a worldwide scale.

The rapid development of Łódź in the second half of the 19th century was brought about by the rise of enormous industrialist fortunes. New inhabitants, craftsmen and merchants came to Łódź; markets and town fairs came to life. The profits obtained from prosperous textile mills opened up practically unlimited possibilities for their owners. The city residences became expressions of the riches and power of the local tycoons. They were usually next to the owner's factory.

Ever since the industrial revolution brought a massive influx of workforce, Łódź had been a city almost equally divided between four cultures - Polish, Jewish, German and Russian. The day before the outbreak of World War II, Łódź was inhabited by approximately 672,000 people, among whom 35% were of Jewish faith and some 15% were ethnic German. Andrzej Wajda's movie, Promised Land based on a novel by the Nobel laureate Władysław Reymont, depicts those times and is a worthwhile introduction to the city's bustling history.

Łódź is well known for its architectural monuments which form a record of the city's heritage, particularly its unique 19th century development. Since 1989, the city of Łódź has rediscovered its industrial heritage, a unique ensemble of architecture, preserved despite two world wars.

1 Piotrkowska street. It is one of the longest commercial streets in Europe and one of the major attractions in the city. It runs in a straight line from the Liberty Square (Plac Wolności) to the Independence Square (Plac Niepodległości). Many pubs, bars, restaurants, and attractions are on this street. Although the cross streets have motor vehicles Piotrkowska Street itself has none so one has about 5 kms of fairly carefree strolling. (updated Jun 2025)

2 Łódź Walk of Fame (Aleja Gwiazd), ul. Piotrkowska (Between 6 Sierpnia Street and Rubinstein Passage). Being the Polish Hollywood, Łódź has its own Walk of Fame. Some of the names are Pola Negri, Roman Polański or Andrzej Wajda.

3 Old Market Square (Rynek Starego Miasta), ul. Kilinskiego 56 (Next to Staromiejski Park). Was once incorporated into the Ghetto. It now serves as a venue for concerts and fairs.

4 The Decalogue Memorial (Pomnik Dekalogu w Łodzi), ul. Kilinskiego 56 (In the Staromiejski Park). It is a tribute to the coexistence of Poles and Jews. The memorial is close to the Old Market Square in Staromiejski Park.

5 Litzmannstadt Ghetto (Getto Łódzkie). The Litzmannstadt Ghetto was the second largest Jewish ghetto in Poland after the Warsaw Ghetto. It is referred to as both the Łódź Ghetto and the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, the latter name coming from the German general who captured the city in World War I (the entire city was later renamed Litzmannstadt in his honor). The ghetto was the last one to be liquidated due to the high productivity of the slave laborers and lack of armed resistance. See Holocaust remembrance for context.

Radegast Station, Radegast Stalowa Street. From this station thousands of people were herded to Polish death camps. After WWII it lay in ruins for many years but in 2002 efforts commenced to turn it into one of the museums of the Lodz ghetto. Today some 80 years later it remains a sad and solemn place. You can walk around most of the station free of charge. (updated Jun 2025)

Having been primarily promoted as a centre of creative industries (arts, design, fashion), the city hosts a considerable number of cultural events throughout the year on a range of subject matter. If you are travelling not just to see beautiful architecture, but to also experience a plethora of local events, Łódź is a great place to be.

Festivals

Łódź of Four Cultures Festival (Festiwal Łódź Czterech Kultur). Takes place every September. Intended to promote understanding and tolerance between the four nations that have built the city.

Light Move Festival. A festival of light held every October that utilises public spaces in the city centre for a spectacular show of art and video.

Explorers Festival. Extreme sports and tourism festival. Takes place every November.

International Festival of Photography (Fotofestiwal). Takes place every May. All the events take place in old factories, tenement buildings and villas of Łódź – post-industrial architecture creates a truly unique atmosphere for presentation of photographs.

International Festival of Comics and Games (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Komiksu i Gier). Held annually in October. It is the biggest comic event in Central-Eastern Europe.

Łódź Design Festival (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Designu). Held in May. Hosts various exhibitions and design events. (updated May 2019)

International Festival of Music Producers Soundedit (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Producentów Muzycznych). Mostly acoustic shows.

Festival of Music Individualities Tansman (Festiwal Indywidualności Muzycznych Tansman). Homage to Alexandre Tansman.

International Festival of Pleasant and Unpleasant Plays (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Sztuk Przyjemnych i Nieprzyjemnych). Held in the Common Theater, a long-running play festival.

Summer Academy of Jazz (Letnia Akademia Jazzu). Held in July-August. The jazz festival (some of the concerts are free) that attracts a number of Polish and international jazz celebrities as well as talented young musicians. (updated Jul 2019)

Leisure

1 Lunapark. A popular, free theme park just outside the city.

Łódź has culinary influence from all over the world and it is actually quite difficult to find explicitly Polish cuisine if you do not dine in the most expensive places. For the cheapest food, it is best to go to one of the numerous kebab or Yem joints. For something a bit healthier, you can easily get a tasty sandwich for around 6-8 zł. Polish cuisine does not have any cheap 'fast food' meals, so if you want to try something definitely Polish, it is wise to invest a bit more money and go to a splurge restaurant. They are costly only by Polish standards.

The cheaper option would be to look for a 'Pierogarnia' (or ask someone about it). There are many of such places in Łódź and they sell Polish dumplings. The price is usually very competitive.

Food delivery services are represented by such popular apps like Pyszne.pl, Pizzaportal.pl, Glovo and UberEats.

Food shopping

The most popular hypermarkets are Carrefour, Kaufland, Auchan and E.Leclerc. If you are on budget, you can go to Biedronka or Lidl. If you are willing to spend some more money and buy better produce, go to Piotr i Paweł.

Budget

Da Grasso, dagrasso@dagrasso.pl. Mon-Thu Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-22:00, Fri 11:00-01:00. Their big pizza is more than enough for 2 hungry people. It is a chain, so you can find their restaurants all around the city. 15-25 zł.

1 In Centro, ul. Piotrkowska 153, ☏ +48 42 636 99 92. Mon-Sat 12:00-22:00; Sun 13:00-22:00. Small pizzeria in the center of the city near Galeria Lodzka and Ibis Hotel. The oldest one in Łódź. 12 - 30 zł.

2 Green Way, ul. Piotrkowska 80, ☏ +48 42 632 08 52. A vegetarian fast food chain has one restaurant. They also offer free wireless access to the internet. A soup 3 zł, second plate 6-9 zł.

3 Manekin, ul. 6 Sierpnia 1, ☏ +48 42 671 07 84, lodz@manekin.pl. Sun-Thu 10:00-22.30; Fri Sat 10:00-23.30. This place is about pancakes that are served in all imaginable varieties, sweet or savory, plain or stuffed, and even baked under cheese to make them even more hearty. Prices are surprisingly low, while the interior and service reputedly good. And if you can't eat any more pancakes, soups and salads are also available. 7-15 zł.

Łódź is known for its excellent night scene. Nightlife is concentrated in the city center (Piotrkowska Street, Kościuszki Street and the adjoining streets). There are dozens of pubs and restaurants there. Another focal point is Manufaktura where many festivals and public concerts take place (but it usually closes much earlier).

1 Piwoteka, ul. 6 sierpnia 1/3, piwoteka@piwoteka.pl. Off Piotrkowska Street, it is both a shop and a pub. You can try hundreds of Polish regional beers there. Recommended for beer tasters.

2 Bierhalle, ul. Drewnowska 58 (Manufaktura), ☏ +48 42 632 03 76, fax: +48 42 632 03 69, bierhalle.manufaktura@globrest.com. Fri Sat 12:00-24:00, Sun 12:00-22:00, Mon-Thu 12:00-23:00. A German-style brewery. They close quite early, but the beer is good.

3 Pub Łódź Kaliska, ul.Piotrkowska 102, ☏ +48 42 630 69 55, fax: +48 42 630 69 55, klub@lodzkaliska.pl. One of the most popular pubs, an institution! Named after the artist group "Łódź Kaliska". Decorated with pieces of art. On weekends very crowded. A must see are the women's toilets on the second floor!

4 Irish Pub, Piotrkowska 77, ☏ +48 42 632 48 76. Wide selection of beers - including Guinness and Kilkenny, Irish specialties - wines and other beverages. You can eat as well as have a drink here.

Rolling Stone, ul. Moniuszki 6, ☏ +48 42 633 65 41. A self-styled "English Pub". Here you can sit back on oak pews and laugh at caricatures of the Royal Family and Keith Richards to the sound of The Cure. Is much bigger than it looks from the outside.

Dwie Dłonie, ul. Wólczańska 40/42, ☏ +48 42 630 10 05, +48 605 99 46 99, info@dwiedlonie.pl. The only pub in the city that aims to integrate those who hear and those who don't. Staff people know Polish sign language. You can have a drink here as well as eat a pizza (9.5 - 27 zł), play table football, billiard or darts or use internet for 2.50 zł/hour.

5 The Eclipse Inn, ul. Piotrkowska 80, ☏ +48 518 843 374, info.eclipse.pub@gmail.com. Wed,Thu 17:00-23:15, Fri,Sat 17:00-01:45, Sun-Tue closed. English pub with several British beers off the tap and more in bottles.

6 Owoce i warzywa, ul. Traugutta 9. Mecca for the local hipsters. Furnished with some examples of Polish design. Regular concerts of indie musicians, also from abroad.

On foot

Depending on your level of fitness, you can see the whole of the city center without needing any transport. However, for some attractions like the Old Jewish Cemetery or Botanical Garden you will be better off taking a bus.

In winter snow is sometimes not removed from the sidewalks, resulting in a mixture of snow and mud. Be sure to bring waterproof shoes if you plan to travel on foot in the winter.

By bike

A bicycle sharing system was implemented in Łódź in 2016. There are 154 bike stations available and 1540 bikes for rent. You need to register with a fee of 20zł, but if you return the bike within 20 minutes no money is charged. For more information and the full tariff, see the ŁRP website (available in English). Bikes are not available in the winter season.

Public transport

The public transport system is operated by MPK-Łódź (apart from two bus lines: 6 and 61, operated by other companies, but the same tickets are valid within city limits; don't mistake the bus line 6 with the tram line 6, which has the same number, but is operated by MPK). It is definitely the cheapest way of moving around the city. The descriptions on the bus and tram stops are in Polish only, but they should be easy to follow. See the Polish phrasebook if you feel uncomfortable. For schedules of buses and trams see also jakdojade.pl (available in English). Outside of the rush hour (07:00-09:00 and 15:00-18:00), the public transport is quite efficient and runs on time. During the rush hours and in winter (during snowy conditions) be prepared for some delays.

Łódź is divided into two ticket zones: inner-city and suburban (the division doesn't concern 20-minute, 40-minute and 60-minute tickets). The inner-city tickets are valid within the city borders, while the suburban ones - in the neighbouring towns and villages serviced by the Łódź public transport system (with some exceptions in the towns of Zgierz and Pabianice, which will be explained later on).

Łódź has a rough reputation among Polish people from other cities, largely thanks to well-publicized events that shocked Poland in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Today, Łódź is a safe place. Contrary to typical newcomer's fears, the crime rate is relatively low and according to statistics is much lower than in any other large city in Poland (only 39 crimes per 1000 citizens were reported in the city in 2008). Also, violent crime is very rare. Some basic advice though:

Watch out for pickpockets. A common trick for thieves is to operate in groups and create artificial crowds on buses and trams which distract their victims' attention prior to being pickpocketed. Also, do not leave your belongings unattended and keep your wallet in your front pockets.

Do not visit the city parks after dark. During the day you are perfectly safe, but almost all city parks are open also during the night and there have been reported cases of muggings.

Avoid the following places. Even though the city is safe, the locals will tell that you should avoid certain places if going alone. These are: Włókiennicza Street (also a small part of Wschodnia and Kilińskiego Streets that is in the proximity of Włókiennicza), Abramowskiego Street, Solna Street and Limanowskiego Street.

Avoid displaying football-related emblems. The hooligan scene in Łódź is quite large and very divided. You never know who you will meet, so it is safer to keep your football affections to yourself. This is especially important during the local derby between ŁKS and Widzew football clubs. This advice holds for every Polish city.

Be careful when using pedestrian crossings. Even though pedestrians have right-of-way on pedestrian crossings, some Polish drivers do not respect that. So please be careful and always make sure that there are no cars approaching when you decide to cross the street. This applies to all Polish cities.

Beggars

Łódź hasn't been developing residentially quite as rapidly as some other more successful Polish cities, and has some of the most deprived urban areas in Poland, but such issues are handled by the government and (especially) NGOs.