Sightseeing In Łódź

Łódź has been many things since since its explosive growth in the 19th century – the centre for Polish textile production, the heart of Polish cinema, and now, it is reinvented once again as a post-industrial city of culture. Each of these eras is well-represented in the excellent museums, galleries and other attractions. Here are the highlights.

ŁÓDŹ!

The big Polish cities all display their histories in their architecture and Łódź is no exception. Here, we find the vast blocks of red-brick factories, now reinvented as shopping, entertainment, and cultural spaces, like Manufaktura. The textiles industries made a handful of men very rich, as seen in the urban palaces they built for themsleves. Today, these fabulous houses have become excellent museums, like the Museum of Łódź in the former Poznańki Palace and the Herbst Palace Museum.

Industrialist Ludwik Geyer’s White Factory is now a large and interesting museum telling the story of the city through the fabric it produced. Similarly, the Scheibler Palace is now a museum documenting the unique position of Łódź in the history of cinema. Łódź was also an influential place for modern art, as seen in another Poznańki palace, now the MS1 gallery. And the street art of today is in evidence in the huge murals that adorn dozens of buildings around the city.

What surprised me most is what a great place it is for kids. The population here is very young, and lots of couples have small children. There is a delightful trail of sculptures, based on classic cartoon characters, usually attached to a child-friendly destination like the zoo or waterpark. The science and technology campus, built around the old EC1 power station has been designed particularly for younger visitors, with a planetarium and hands-on museum for under 10s.

For an overview of Łódź highlights, see our Łódź itineraries for one day, two days, and three days. These include details of how to find each place and suggestions for where to eat.

The lights of ul. Piotrkowska

ul. Piotrkowska

At roughly 4.2km, ul. Piotrkowska is the main artery of Łódź, around which the city grew, and a convenient anchor for finding your way around. This historic street is a fascinating blend of architectural styles, telling the story of its development. It’s also full of shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars, as well as sculptures and murals, and lots of exciting passageways to explore.

The walking tour of Łódź highlights, available via GetYourGuide, includes a lot of the main Piotrkowska landmarks, fully contextualised by a knowledgeable tour guide.

Ślepy Maks mural

Łódź Murals

Łódź is quite literally a public art gallery, with well over 100 giant murals on the sides of buildings. We have listed some of the many highlights, with information on how to find them all.

Manufaktura

Manufaktura

Perhaps the defining symbol of Łódź, Manufaktura is the former complex of red-brick textiles factories now reinvented as an enormous shopping, restaurant, and cultural space. In addition to the 300 shops in the mall and 50-odd restaurants, Manufaktura has a museum, contemporary art gallery, hotel, and loads of activities. Completely pedestrianised, with plenty of greenery, fountains, and outdoor seating, Manufaktura is a destination in itself.

Check Łódź Hotel Availability

Destination

Check-in date

Tue 10 Dec 2024

Check-out date

Wed 11 Dec 2024

This 4-hour private tour, available through GetYourGuide, includes Manufaktura and is run by a guide who will teach you what else to look out for once the tour is over.

Museum of Łódź

Museum of Łódź

One of the key museums in the city, the Museum of Łódź showcases the magnificent mansion of factory owner Izrael Poznańki. With sumptuous interiors and rooms dedicated to pianist Artur Rubinstein, the upper levels hark back to the more prosperous side to local history. The basement museum tells the story of Łódź through less rarified perspectives. The city grew through the textiles industry and this engaging museum offers both sides of the story.

The Old Town Highlights Private Walking Tour, available via GetYourGuide, starts at the Museum of Łódź and is shaped by the wishes of the group. You’ll also pick up tips for where to eat and drink during your stay.

Museum of Art MS1

Museum of Art MS1

The Łódź art collection is effectively spread across three sites. MS1 is located in a grand urban palace and largely features work from the 20th century, spread across seven floors. The building itself is an impressive post-industrial reworking of a period building and a highlight is the Neoplastic Room, Władysław Strzemiński’s groundbreaking experiment in displaying avant-garde art.

See also MS2 and the Herbst Palace Museum below.

Herbst Palace Museum

Herbst Palace Museum

Two museums in one, with some attractive gardens, the Herbst Palace was built in 1876 for the daughter of the industrialist Karol Scheibler. This 19th-century gem shows the grandeur of life for a wealthy capitalist, with lavish rooms, exquisite furniture and decoration. The site is also home to a small but excellent gallery of European art, mostly from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

Nearby Księży Młyn is also worth a visit.

Łódź Film Museum

Łódź Film Museum

Housed in the 19th-century Karl Wilhelm Scheibler Palace, Muzeum Kinematografii w Łodzi is a fitting overview of Poland’s significant contribution to world cinema, much of which originated in Łódź. There are exhibits featuring film technology, costumes, and memorabilia, as well as a focus on famous Polish directors, actors, and local film locations. The museum has a lovely garden cafe and a cinema.

EC1 – the City of Culture

EC1 – the City of Culture

EC1 – the City of Culture is a campus of attractions exploring science and the crossover between technology and culture. In addition to the Centre for Science and Technology, the Planetarium, and Ulica Żywiołów (a science museum for younger visitors), you’ll also find the Centre for Comics and Interactive Narrative, the National Centre for Film Culture, and the Hala events space.

This guided tour of the city highlights would make a good combination with a visit to one of the EC1 museums, such as the Planetarium, as it meets right outside.

Radegast Station

Litzmannstadt Ghetto

Łódź is a delightful destination but like most Polish cities, it witnessed unimaginable horrors during the 20th century and was the location of the second largest ghetto in Nazi occupied territories. Today, this period is commemorated in a number of locations spread across the district and markers dotted around the streets.

An organised guided tour of Jewish Łódź is the best way to see the area. Private tours are also available to the site of the Chełmno Kulmhof Concentration Camp.

Filemona i Bonifacego

Łódź Fairyland Trail

In addition to its place in cinema history, Łódź also had one of the world’s most-loved animation studios called Se-ma-for. Their 70-year legacy is celebrated in a wonderful 10-statue trail of characters around the city. We list them all here with details on where to find them.

Central Museum of Textiles

Central Museum of Textiles

Housed in industrialist Ludwik Geyer’s unique White Factory, the Central Museum of Textiles tells the story of Łódź through the prism of fabric production, and one of the large collections of tapestries and fashion in the world, as well as a fascinating look at the technology of textiles.

Again, this 3-hour city tour includes the White Factory and a number of the key landmarks, delivered by an excellent guide. You can book a place via GetYourGuide.

The site also contains the entertaining Łódź City Culture Park, a street of relocated period houses telling the story of the city through a series of detailed microhistories.

Łódź Itineraries

Designed for different lengths of stay, these Łódź itineraries will show you the best of the city, with transport directions and suggestions for where to eat.

• Łódź One-Day Itinerary
• Łódź Two-Day Itinerary
• Łódź Three-Day Itinerary

Sightseeing In Łódź Map

You can find all the locations listed above in the Łódź map below.

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.