Although yet to establish itself as major tourist destination, Łódź has a great deal to offer visitors. It is a relaxed and creative city, with an abundance of restaurants, bars, and excellent museums. Here is an overview of what the first-time visitor to Łódź can expect, along with where to stay and what to see.
Manufaktura
Lacking the muscular modernity of Warsaw or the lavish history of Kraków, Łódź brings a contemporary cultural flair and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere instead. Jostling with Wrocław for Poland’s third-largest city, Łódź is sometimes likened to Manchester. Both saw an industrial boom around textiles and both have recently reinvented themselves as creative post-industrial cities. In the case of Łódź, this is most apparent in the numerous large, bright-red brick factory complexes that have been refashioned into attractive restaurants, shops, and galleries, and the 150-odd murals that splash across the sides of the buildings.
Łódź has a key position in Polish cinema history, reflected in an excellent Film Museum. Science and industry are also well-represented, and the city’s art collection is spread across three fantastic locations. The relatively modern history of Łódź is fascinating, with the industrial revolution clearly visible in the architecture. The rise and shocking fall of the Jewish population is commemorated in a number of locations, and the effects of the Soviet occupation are also plain to see.
However, Łódź is very much a work in progress and a curious experience when you first arrive. Decades of neglect and depopulation mean that chunks of the city are literally derelict. Some of the most elegant streets are right next door to a row of crumbling houses. But rebuilding is happening at a dizzying pace and this, for me, is exciting, as Łódź feels full of possibility. It is also a youthful city with lots of couples in their 20s with small children. As such, it is a very child-friendly destination, with a delightful trail of cartoon character statues to follow and lots of attractions for kids.
EC1 Łódź – City of Culture
What Should I See In Łódź? What Are Łódź’s Must-See Attractions?
Walkable and with excellent transportation, Łódź is easy to get around, with most of the key attractions well within the central ring road. It helps to imagine the city as bisected with a cross, with Piotrkowska running as a main artery from top to bottom, and the busy Józefa Piłsudskiego road cutting across it from left to right. You can spend most of your time around the northern half of Piotrkowska and navigate to the main attractions from there.
A guided tour is a good way for new arrivals to get their bearings and to understand the dramatic history of Łódź. Get Your Guide offers a small but useful range of options, with real customer reviews to set realistic expectations.
Here are some of the main attractions for a first-time visit to Łódź:
- ul. Piotrkowska: This lengthy, semi-pedestrianised street is the main artery of Łódź, lined with shops, restaurants, cafes, and some grand 19th-century buildings. It’s great for a leisurely stroll, exploring the street art, and numerous branching passageways and courtyards.
- Manufaktura: This 19th-century complex of red-brick textiles factories has been transformed into a huge shopping, dining, and entertainment centre. With fountains, a shopping mall, outside terraces for eating and drinking, and loads of activities for kids, many locals spend the whole afternoon or evening here. There is also a museum and art gallery within the site.
- MS1 + MS2: Łódź’ collection of 20th and contemporary art is spread across these two impressive sites. MS2 is a former textiles factory within the Manufaktura complex and generally gives a deep dive into a couple of artists. MS1 focuses largely on 20th-century work and is a delightful post-industrial reinvention of one of the historical Poznański palaces. The group ticket will also give you entry to the small but excellent 19th-century collection at the Herbst Palace – see below.
- Łódź Film Museum: Poland has had a massive influence on cinema and most of its leading lights studied at the film school in Łódź, including Polanski, Kieślowski, Wajda, and Zanussi. This charming museum tells the story of cinema through the lens of the city and finishes off with a hands-on room focused on animation, including firm favourites like the Moomins.
- Museum of Łódź: Located within the luxuriant urban palace of Izrael Poznański – one of the great Łódź industrialists – this museum demonstrates the great wealth the factories brought to a handful of individuals, as well as exploring the history of what was once referred to as “the Promised Land”.
- Herbst Palace Museum: Łódź has a handful of other grand palaces, that sprung up as a result of its 19th-century industrial wealth. Herbst Palace has gorgeous interiors and lush gardens, as well as a small gallery of 19th- and early-20th art. Visit the workers’ residences in neighbouring Księży Młyn for a stark lesson in capitalist economics.
- Urban Murals: Łódź is saturated with street art, from 150-odd murals that decorate the sides of buildings, to the sculptures that are scattered across the entire city, this is a city to keep your eyes open and to discover new details wherever you look.
- EC1 Science and Technology Centre: EC1 is a campus of museums and venues, loosely themed around technology, close to the main train station. A highlight is the huge Science and Technology Centre, based in the city’s original power station. With lots of hands-on science experiments, mainly focused around physics, the museum also has one of the best views of Łódź from the top of the original cooling tower.
There are plenty more parks, museums, and other attractions spread out across Łódź, see Get Your Guide for more suggestions, as well as our Sightseeing In Łódź guide.
First-time visitors can also follow our one-day, two-day, and three-day Łódź itineraries.
Grand Hotel
Where Should I Stay In Łódź?
Accommodation will depend very much on your budget and what is available for your dates. You can get a solid 3-star room for less than 200zł per night (45€), but you should expect to pay 350-400zł (79-90€) during the summer months.
Use Booking.com to get a detailed breakdown of each property and genuine guest reviews. You can reserve online with no upfront fee and pay when you check out. Free cancellations are also available.
Here is our selection to get your started:
- Best Łódź Luxury Hotel: PURO Łódź Centrum
- Best Łódź Boutique Hotel: Fabryka Wełny Hotel & Spa
- Best Łódź Family Apartment: Art House
- Best Łódź Mid-Range Hotel: Novotel Lodz Centrum
- Best Łódź Business Hotel: Hampton by Hilton Łódź City Center
- Best Łódź Budget Hotel: Hotel Ibis Łódź Centrum
For more information, see our guide for Where To Stay In Łódź. Our How Much Money Do I Need For Łódź page provides sample budgets for you stay.
Łódź Fabryczna train station
How To Get To Łódź
Łódź is in the centre of Poland, roughly 140km from Warsaw and 280km from Kraków. It does have a local airport, but service is limited to a couple of arrivals per day from select destinations. As such, it may be more convenient to travel via Warsaw and catch the train – see below.
Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport (LCJ) is currently served by Ryanair and Wizz Air with flights to and from Alicante, Brussels, Dublin, Birmingham, Stansted, Malaga, and Milan. Actual timetables are seasonal but you can see a handy breakdown of the current arrivals and departures on the airport website.
These are the current routes:
- Alicante to Łódź
- Birmingham to Łódź
- Brussels Charleroi to Łódź
- Dublin to Łódź
- London Stansted to Łódź
- Malaga to Łódź
- Milan Bergamo to Łódź
Warsaw Chopin (WAW), on the other hand, is a large international airport with routes from all over Europe. From there, you can take a direct Flixbus (2 hrs) or a train with one change in Warsaw (2.5 hrs) to reach Łódź.
We have a full guide to Łódź Airport and details on How To Get To Łódź, including details of how to travel in via Warsaw.
You can find the cheapest flights to Łódź with 12go and to Warsaw. A single search will show you all available prices and times for your dates. Change the search options as required.
T-Mobile store in Galeria Łódzka
How To Get A SIM Card In Łódź
If you have a phone contract registered in any EU country, you should automatically be able to use your existing plan in Poland at no extra charge. Check with your provider before you travel.
If you have a contract from the UK, you should still be able to use your existing plan in Poland, although there may be a nominal fee. Again, you’ll need to check with your provider.
There are theoretically a number of options available if you are travelling from outside of the EU. If you have already bought a SIM in another EU country, this should also work in Poland. Otherwise, you could buy a pre-paid SIM card. Companies like Drimsim and travSIM offer SIM cards specifically designed for tourists, often with data packages.
Similarly, some network providers and travel SIM companies offer eSIMs, a virtual SIM card that can be activated on your phone without needing a physical card. This option requires a newer model with eSIM functionality. Check your phone manufacturer’s website to see if it supports eSIM.
Whilst the idea of getting your SIM sorted before you arrived, the drawbacks are that you cannot test them before you arrive and such cards may be more expensive compared to local prepaid options.
Instead, we recommend you get a SIM card directly from a branch of a local mobile providers. They can talk you through the best deals and make sure everything is working properly. Most young Poles speak excellent English and customer service is usually very good. There are branches of Plus, Orange, and T-Mobile stores in all the big shopping malls, including Manufaktura and Galeria Łódzka, so you can shop around.
It means you will have to make it from the airport to the city centre without a connection, but you’ll save money if you do.
If you are travelling on from Poland, be aware that you may not be able to take your minutes and data with you. So check this with staff before agreeing to purchase.
You’ll need your passport to buy a SIM. Also, make sure your phone is unlocked before you travel.
See our How To Get A SIM Card In Łódź page for more information.
Travel Insurance For Łódź
Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
See our Travel Insurance For Łódź page for more information and advice.
Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw
Other Polish Cities You Can Visit From Łódź
Łódź is in the very centre of Poland, less than 90 minutes by train from Warsaw, with direct routes to Kraków, Gdańsk, Toruń, and Lublin, amongst others from its fantastic new railway station. Most cities can be reached via public transport in a matter of hours.
Check prices and timetables for buses with 12go and book instantly online. Trains can be booked via the national rail network.
- Gdańsk: On the Baltic coast, historic Gdańsk is one of Poland’s most popular destinations. You can read more about Gdańsk on our sister site GdanskVisit.com.
- Kraków: Beautiful and historic, stunning Kraków should be on everybody’s wishlist during a visit to Poland. You can read more about Kraków on our sister site VisitKrakow.com.
- Toruń: Mostly untouched by the Second World War, Toruń is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Vistula River. Dominated by the huge Gothic cathedral, the city feels less hectic than more famous tourist destinations.
- Warsaw: Poland’s capital city is easy to reach from Łódź and makes a good weekend destination. Much of Warsaw was built after 1945. Even the pretty Old Town is mostly reconstruction. But there are excellent museums and places to eat. It’s also one of Europe’s great cities to go out drinking! You can read more about Warsaw on our sister site WarsawVisit.com.
- Wrocław: Wrocław is a charming city to the west of Poland, with islands and bridges criss-crossing the water and a strong Gothic flavour to the architecture. Built out from the 10th century Ostrów Tumski, Wrocław has a stunning UNESCO-listed market square.
- Zakopane: Poland’s outdoor capital and winter resort, Zakopane is gateway to the Tatra mountains. The area is excellent for hiking, skiing, and a range of other activities. However, there is also unique folk architecture and plenty of more spectacular attractions. You can read more about Zakopane on our sister site VisitKrakow.com.
See Other Polish Cities You Can Visit From Łódź for more details and further suggestions.
Łódź Map
Plan your Łódź visit with our Łódź map of the attractions, restaurants, sightseeing and hotels in Łódź.
Each type of landmark has a different colour marker on the map:
- YELLOW / ORANGE: Łódź Sightseeing
- GREEN: Łódź Transportation
- BLUE: Hotels in Łódź
- PURPLE: Shopping In Łódź
- DARK RED: Restaurants in Łódź
- LIGHT RED: Nightlife in Łódź
Click on a marker and it will give you the name of the landmark, with a brief description and links for more information and directions. You can pan, scroll, and zoom around the map, or use the + or – buttons in the bottom left of the map to zoom in and out.
Click on the icon in the top left corner for an index of every location, sorted by category. Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want. Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
Each category is on a different layer, which can be switched on and off. So you can just see the Hotel or Restaurant pins, for example.
If you are using the map on your phone, open the Visit Łódź map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.
Start Planning Your Łódź Trip Now!
:: Find things to do and get to know Łódź with a professional guided tour via Get Your Guide. You’ll see the biggest highlights in a morning or afternoon, with lots of suggestions for where to go next.
:: Find available Łódź hotels on Booking.com – usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too.
:: Find the cheapest flight to Łódź with 12go - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver.
:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
