Łódź in Poland – 12 tips on things to see and do

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Łódź in Poland is a city that surprises. Old textile factories have been transformed into museums, restaurants and creative meeting places, while grand industrial palaces, street art and a long film tradition tell the story of the city's special history. We came here without any particular expectations – and were completely charmed. Here are our best tips for things to see and do in Łódź.

Łódź – from industrial city to creative metropolis

Łódź is located in central Poland, about 130 kilometers southwest of Warsaw. Unlike many other Polish cities, the city center does not revolve around a single historic square. Instead, the city stretches along long streets and between large old industrial areas.

During the 19th century, Łódź grew explosively and became one of Europe's most important centers for the textile industry. Factories, workers' housing, and magnificent palaces were built by some of the city's major industrial families, including the Poznański and Scheibler families.

After the decline of the textile industry, Łódź fell into a difficult period, but in recent decades many of the old industrial environments have been given new life. Factories have become museums, hotels, restaurants, shops and cultural centers – and the mix of industrial history and modern creativity is today a large part of the city's charm.

Things to see and do in Łódź – our best tips

Today, Łódź is a pleasant city to explore. We share our best tips on what to see and do during a visit.

1. exploring Manufaktura

You can't visit Łódź without exploring Manufaktura. This was once the site of the factory owner Israel Poznański's business, and inside the buildings, weaving machines were running at full speed. What's fascinating is how the old industrial buildings have been renovated and given new life, while preserving much of the characteristic brick architecture.

Today the buildings include shopping centres, museums, shops, restaurants, cafés, pubs, art exhibitions and a cinema. You can easily spend a lot of time here.

2. Stroll along Piotrkowska

Piotrkowska is Łódź's main street, stretching for over four kilometers through the city center. It runs from Freedom Square (Plac Wolności) to Independence Square (Plac Niepodległości). The street is also lined with beautiful historic houses, many of which have connections to the city's wealthy industrial families.

3. Visit the Palace of Izrael Poznański

If you were a significant factory owner in the 19th century, you would naturally want to own a magnificent palace. When Izrael Poznanski had his palace built, he didn't want to skimp on the powder or the styles, and he chose to pour in a combination of neo-renaissance and neo-baroque. Today, you'll find the Łódź City Museum here.

4. Feel the wings of history at Muzeum Fabryki

Located in the Manufaktura, the Muzeum Fabryki tells the story of life in and around the textile factory. There are several of the large weaving machines from the past, and on the walls are photos showing what it looked like when these machines were packed tightly and filled hall after hall.

The young guide in the museum told us that her grandmother worked in the factory, every day from early morning to late evening. The guide started up a machine so we could hear what it sounds like when it is in operation. When all the machines were running at the same time, the sound must have been deafening.

5. Experience the art at ms1 and ms2

Those who want to see art in Łódź can visit ms1 and ms2, both of which belong to the Muzeum Sztuki. Here, among other things, you can find avant-garde art and modern and contemporary art. The museum has a particularly strong connection to Polish avant-gardism.

6. Discover science and culture at EC1

EC1 was once a power station and a factory. When the city was modernised in the 2000s, this part was also taken care of, and today it has been refurbished and given completely new functions. Part of the old factory is now a cultural centre with workshops and exhibitions, as well as a planetarium.

Another part of the old factory houses an interactive science and technology centre. You can also visit and learn more about the old power plant.

7. See the mirror art in Róża's Passage

One of Łódź's most special facades can be found at Piotrkowska 3. Here, artist Joanna Rajkowska has covered the walls of the courtyard with thousands of small mirror pieces, in the artwork Róża's Passage.

Even more beautiful and special facades can be found if you know which courtyard to look into. The easiest way to find them, of course, is to go with a guide.

8. Look for street art

In addition to interesting facades, there is plenty of street art and murals in Łódź.

In the picture below, for example, you see a mural of Polish-American pianist Artur Rubinstein, painted by Brazilian artist Kobra. The butterfly on the wall next to it? It's an advertising image for a chain store, left over from the communist era.

9. Visit the memorial site at Radegast

Łódź has a dark history from World War II and a great way to learn more about it is to visit the Radegast railway station. During the war, this station was used to deport Jews and Roma to the Łódź ghetto or on to various extermination camps. Today, there is a memorial monument and a small museum here. It is a powerful and touching visit that tells the story of a dark part of the city's history.

READ MORE: Radegast in Łódź – a memorial site for the victims of the Holocaust

10. Visit the Jewish Cemetery

The Jewish Cemetery in Łódź is one of the largest Jewish burial grounds in Europe and was founded in 1892. The vast area contains around 180,000 graves, from simple tombstones to lavish mausoleums, testifying to the importance that the Jewish population once had in the city.

Here lies, among others, the industrial magnate Izrael Poznański, whose large mausoleum is one of the cemetery's most notable monuments. When we arrived here, the cemetery was unfortunately closed, but we walked around outside and at least got an idea of the large area. If you want to visit the cemetery, it is wise to check the current opening hours in advance.

11. Hang out at OFF Piotrkowska center

OFF Piotrkowska is located in an old factory area on Piotrkowska and offers a relaxed and creative atmosphere. Here you can find small design shops, trendy food trucks and a relaxed atmosphere. When we passed by, a group was sitting and watching an outdoor cinema.

In this area we also found a restaurant where we had dinner. Spółdzielnia is a nice and relaxed restaurant, which also has a large outdoor terrace in the summer.

We started with a small starter of prawns. Peter then chose a burger with gorgonzola and I (Helena) chose a chicken dish with Asian flavours. Very good!

12. Discover Łódź as a film city

Łódź has a strong connection to cinema and has long been one of Poland's most important centers of film production. It is home to the famous film school, where many of the country's most famous directors and cinematographers have been trained.

Along Piotrkowska you can look for Lodz Walk of Fame, where Polish actors, directors and other film personalities have their own stars in the street pavement. If you want to delve further into the city's film history, you can visit The Film Museum (Muzeum Cinematografi), which is located in the magnificent Scheibler Palace.

In fact, film is such an important part of the city's identity that since 2017, Łódź has been a UNESCO Creative City of Film.

More to see and do in Łódź

There is, of course, more to see and do in Łódź than we managed to do during our relatively short visit. We're actually keen to go back and see more of this lovely city! Here are some more things to see and do.

Architecture and monuments

• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - an Orthodox church named after the Russian saint Alexander Nevsky, Jana Kilińskiego 56.
• Archcatherdal Basilica of St Stanislaus Kostka - an early 20th century cathedral.
• Palace of Karol Scheibler - one of the industrialists' palaces, plac Zwycięstwa 1.
• Karol Scheibler's chapel - one of the industrialists' chapels, Old Cemetery, Ogrodowa Street 43.
• Prince's Mill - a group of 19th century textile factories and associated facilities in the southern part of the city.
• White Factory - a 19th century white factory building with cultural activities, Milionowa.
• Litzmannstadt Ghetto - the area that served as a ghetto during the Second World War.

Museums and activities

• Herbstpalace with early Polish and European art.
• Botanical garden - including a Japanese garden, Krzemieniecka 36/38.
• Palm house - with many species of palms and other trees, al. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 61.
• The Museum of the Independence Traditions - Historical museum on the struggle for independence, Gdanska 13.
• Science centre Exeperymentarium - science museum suitable for children, Drewnowska 58.

Where to stay in Łódź?

There are plenty of hotels in central Łódź, especially around Piotrkowska and Manufaktura. An exciting option is to stay in one of the old industrial environments that have been converted into modern hotels.

When we visited Łódź by camper van, we parked at Park im. Adama Mickiewicza, about four kilometers from Manufaktura, and took the bikes into the city center. For overnight stays, it may be better to stay at a campsite or motorhome.

We also checked out Vienna House Andel's at Manufaktura and Stare Kino on Piotrkowska, where the apartments have different movie themes.

Video from Łódź

More to see in the neighbourhood

There are many interesting cities to discover in Poland. Here you will find more city guides:

• Things to do in Warsaw
• Things to do in Poznań
• Things to do in Wrocław