Rose Passage

The Pasaż Róży (or Rose Passage) is an alleyway off Piotrkowska completely covered in fragments of mirror glass, which shimmers at certain times of day.

Rose Passage

One of the must-see detours off ul. Piotrkowska is artist Joanna Rajkowska’s transformation of a dingy alleyway into a shimmering mosaic of mirror pieces. The same artist created Greetings From Jerusalem Avenue palm tree in Warsaw.

The lengthy project of covering 800m2 of walls, frames, and steps in irregular pieces of mirror was finished in 2014. You can read about the artist’s thinking and the technical process on her website. The result is a much beloved piece of public art.

Rose Passage close-up

Although I thought I could discern flower shapes in the mosaics, the name of the project actually refers to Rajkowska’s daughter Rosa, who was diagnosed with a cancer of the eye before chemotherapy returned her sight. For the artist, the mirrors are a kind of retina, that have given the buildings the ability to see.

This introductory tour to Łódź, available via GetYourGuide, includes the Rose Passage amongst highlights, such as the best architecture along ul. Piotrkowska.

The Rose Passage is open daily from 8am to 10pm and it can get busy towards late afternoon, when the sun starts to dip in the west, illuminating the mirrors. Dusk is also a good time to visit, once the streetlights have come on, as these also create a particular effect.

Rose Passage address: Piotrkowska 3, 90-004 Łódź, Poland

You can enter the passage from the very top of Piotrkowska, to the left, just before you reach plac Wolności, or via Zachodnia. There are also some shady places to sit just off the passage and some colourful plants.

Where Is This Place Located?

Find this location on the Visit Łódź map:

• Open the Visit Łódź map
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• 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 map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location

Map pins are color coded:

• YELLOW / ORANGE: Łódź Sightseeing
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