---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Łódź, Poland (2026 Guide) | Wimup"
description: "The 10 best things to do in Łódź, ranked. Piotrkowska Street, the restored mills of Manufaktura and Księży Młyn, the film museum and a world-class modern art collection."
url: https://wimup.com/city/lodz
type: City guide
updated: 2026-10-26
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Łódź

Łódź, Poland · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 13 min read

Łódź is the city the textile boom built. In the 19th century mill owners raised factories, palaces and workers' housing at speed, and the 21st century has turned them into museums, lofts and the Manufaktura complex. It also trains Poland's directors: the film school here produced Wajda, Polański and Kieślowski.

## Quick answer

Walk Piotrkowska end to end, past the Avenue of Stars, then spend an afternoon in Manufaktura and the Poznański Palace beside it. Give a morning to Muzeum Sztuki for Strzemiński's Neoplastic Room, and another to Księży Młyn and the film museum in Scheibler's palace. Two days covers the centre. A third buys the Jewish Cemetery, EC1 or the Orientarium.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** May · Jun · Sep
- **Ideal length:** 2–3 days
- **Budget per day:** $50–100
- **Language:** Polish
- **Getting around:** Trams and buses, Piotrkowska on foot
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://lodz.travel/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Łódź

### 1. Piotrkowska Street

Street · ulica Piotrkowska, Łódź

About 4.2 km of mill-era facades, courtyards and bars, running south from plac Wolności. The stretch near the Rubinstein Passage carries the Avenue of Stars, Poland's answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

- **Time:** 2–3 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Evening
- **Tip:** Duck into the courtyards: the street's best bars sit behind the gates, not on the pavement

Links: [Website](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/piotrkowska-street/off-piotrkowska/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 2. Manufaktura

Landmark · Drewnowska 58, 91-002 Łódź

Izrael Poznański's red-brick textile works, restored and reopened in 2006 as shops, restaurants, ms2 and the Museum of the Factory. Wikipedia calls it Poland's largest renovation since Warsaw's Old Town was rebuilt in the 1950s.

- **Time:** 2 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Afternoon
- **Tip:** Skip the mall wing and walk the market square between the old mills, where the scale of the works reads best

Links: [Website](https://manufaktura.com/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 3. Muzeum Sztuki ms1

Museum · Więckowskiego 36, 90-734 Łódź

The original home of one of Europe's earliest modern art collections. Its centrepiece is Władysław Strzemiński's Neoplastic Room of 1948, painted over in 1950 and reconstructed by his student Bolesław Utkin in 1960.

- **Time:** 1 hr 30 min
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Admission is free on Fridays, and the two-day pass covers ms1, ms2 and the Herbst Palace

Links: [Website](https://msl.org.pl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Księży Młyn

Neighbourhood · Przędzalniana, Łódź

Karl Scheibler's company town: a spinning mill, rows of brick workers' houses, a school and a fire station. The mill is now lofts, and the Herbst family's villa at the end of the street is a museum.

- **Time:** 1 hr 30 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** Walk Przędzalniana from the film museum to the Herbst Palace, and the whole estate unfolds in order

Links: [Website](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/ksiezy-mlyn/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 5. Museum of Cinematography

Museum · plac Zwycięstwa 1, 90-312 Łódź

Scheibler's own palace, its panelled rooms now holding cameras, posters and Polish film history. The building played itself in Wajda's The Promised Land, which is reason enough to see the interiors.

- **Time:** 1 hr 30 min
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Afternoon
- **Tip:** Hours change by season, so check the museum's site before you cross town

Links: [Website](https://muzeumkinematografii.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 6. Poznański Palace

Museum · Ogrodowa 15, 91-065 Łódź

The mill king's residence beside his factory, now the Museum of the City of Łódź. Ballroom, dining room and library show how the textile fortune lived, a few metres from where it was made.

- **Time:** 1 hr 30 min
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Wednesday
- **Tip:** The permanent exhibitions are free on Wednesdays; the museum is closed on Mondays

Links: [Website](https://muzeum-lodz.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 7. EC1

Landmark · Targowa 1/3, 90-022 Łódź

The city's first power station, opened in 1906 and closed in 2000, now a science centre, a planetarium and the National Centre for Film Culture. The planetarium seats 110 under a 14-metre dome.

- **Time:** 3 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Rainy day
- **Tip:** Book planetarium shows ahead; the combined ticket with the Orientarium saves a second queue

Links: [Website](https://ec1lodz.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 8. Jewish Cemetery

Memorial · Bracka 40, 91-709 Łódź

About 40 hectares, among the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, founded in 1892. The Poznański mausoleum stands near the gate, and the Ghetto Field holds tens of thousands of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto's dead.

- **Time:** 1 hr 30 min
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Enter from Zmienna Street; it closes on Saturdays and Jewish holidays, and early on Fridays

Links: [Website](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/litzmannstadt-ghetto/the-jewish-cemetary/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 9. Central Museum of Textiles

Museum · Piotrkowska 282, 93-034 Łódź

Ludwik Geyer's White Factory of 1835 to 1839, one of Poland's finest industrial buildings, with working looms under its low wooden ceilings. The open-air museum of wooden houses sits behind it.

- **Time:** 2 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** Combine it with Ogrody Geyera across the street, the Geyer mills revived as offices and restaurants

Links: [Website](https://cmwl.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 10. Orientarium Zoo Łódź

Zoo · Konstantynowska 8/10, 94-303 Łódź

Opened in 2022, a Southeast Asian pavilion with elephants, orangutans, gharials and sharks, joined to the older city zoo. The highlight is a 26-metre underwater tunnel.

- **Time:** 3–4 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Weekday morning
- **Tip:** Buy online and arrive at opening; school groups fill the tunnel by late morning

Links: [Website](https://orientarium.lodz.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best museums in Łódź

Art, the mills, the ghetto and wooden Łódź, beyond the big three in the Top 10.

1. **Muzeum Sztuki ms2** (Modern art · Manufaktura): The modern and contemporary collection, inside a Manufaktura mill. [Website](https://msl.org.pl/en/ms2?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Herbst Palace Museum** (Interiors · 1875 · Księży Młyn): Matilda Scheibler's villa, restored in 2013 with its winter garden. [Website](https://msl.org.pl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Museum of the Factory** (Industry · Manufaktura): Poznański's empire, told inside his 1872 weaving mill.
4. **Radegast Station** (Memorial · Bałuty): Where the ghetto's transports left, now a memorial and museum. [Website](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/litzmannstadt-ghetto/radegast-station/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Wooden Architecture Skansen** (Open-air museum · Piotrkowska 282): Villas, a church and a tram stop moved beside the White Factory. [Website](https://cmwl.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best film heritage in Łódź

A UNESCO City of Film since 2017, the only one in Poland.

1. **Avenue of Stars** (Walk of fame · Piotrkowska): More than 65 stars set into Piotrkowska for Polish film names. [Website](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/cinematic-lodz/walk-of-fame/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Łódź Film School** (Founded 1948 · Targowa): Oskar Kon's palace, the school of Wajda, Polański and Kieślowski. [Website](https://filmschool.lodz.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Museum of Cinematography** (Museum · Księży Młyn): Film history in the palace Wajda shot for The Promised Land. [Website](https://muzeumkinematografii.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **National Centre for Film Culture** (Exhibition · EC1): Cinema's history and craft, in the EC1 East power station. [Website](https://ec1lodz.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Kino Charlie** (Cinema · Piotrkowska 203/205): Arthouse cinema showing European and niche films for three decades.

## Best industrial heritage in Łódź

The mills that made the city, reopened as courtyards, lofts and bars.

1. **OFF Piotrkowska** (Creative quarter · Piotrkowska 138/140): Ramisch's cotton mill, a cluster of bars, studios and food trucks. [Website](https://offpiotrkowska.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Ogrody Geyera** (Mill complex · Piotrkowska 293/305): Nineteen revived Geyer factory buildings, restaurants and an old cinema.
3. **Monopolis** (Distillery · Kopcińskiego): The 1902 state vodka distillery, now offices and a vodka museum.
4. **Scheibler's spinning mill** (Mill · Księży Młyn): The giant at the heart of Księży Młyn, converted into lofts.

## Best restaurants in Łódź

Three Michelin Guide picks for 2026, and the cellars that keep Łódź cooking alive.

1. **Acanti** (Bib Gourmand 2026 · Traugutta 12): The city's one Bib Gourmand: Polish cooking with French and Italian technique.
2. **Malinowa** (Michelin Guide 2026 · Piotrkowska 72): Polish classics in the Grand Hotel's gilded ballroom on Piotrkowska.
3. **Ogień i Sól** (Michelin Guide 2026 · Ogrody Geyera): Steaks off a charcoal Mibrasa oven in the Geyer mill complex.
4. **Piwnica Łódzka** (Łódź cuisine · Sienkiewicza 67): A basement kitchen reviving zalewajka, prażoki and other city dishes.
5. **Anatewka** (Jewish cuisine · 6 Sierpnia): Jewish Łódź on the plate: gefilte fish and herring with cinnamon.
6. **Manekin** (Naleśniki · 6 Sierpnia): Stuffed pancakes, cheap and filling, a block off Piotrkowska.

## Best bars & cafes in Łódź

Craft taps and specialty coffee, most within a few minutes of Piotrkowska.

1. **PiwPaw** (Craft beer · Piotrkowska 147): More than a hundred craft taps, the largest count in Poland.
2. **Owoce i Warzywa** (Coffee · Traugutta 9): A club café that brought specialty coffee to Łódź early. [Website](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/where-to-eat/cafes-and-pastry-shops/owoce-i-warzywa/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Niebostan** (Café-bar · Piotrkowska 17): Specialty coffee by day and a solid beer list later.
4. **The Brick Coffee Factory** (Coffee · Piotrkowska): Specialty roasts in two branches on Piotrkowska.
5. **Brush Barber Shop & Cocktail Bar** (Cocktails · OFF Piotrkowska): A barber by day, a cocktail bar by night, inside OFF Piotrkowska.

## Best parks in Łódź

Forest, glasshouses and gardens, all reachable by tram.

1. **Łagiewniki Forest** (Forest · North Łódź): About 1,200 hectares of forest, one of Europe's largest inside a city.
2. **Źródliska Park and Palm House** (Park · Śródmieście): The city's oldest park, with the botanical garden's palm house.
3. **Botanical Garden** (Garden · Krzemieniecka 36/38): 67 hectares of collections on the western edge of Zdrowie Park. [Website](https://www.botaniczny.lodz.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Reymont Park** (Park · Piotrkowska 282): The green beside the White Factory and its wooden skansen.

## Best day trips in Łódź

Palaces, folk art and an abbey within about an hour of Łódź.

1. **Łowicz** (About 50 km north-east · Łowicz): A triangular market square and the region's bold striped folk costume.
2. **Nieborów and Arkadia** (Palace · Nieborów): The Radziwiłł palace and its romantic park, about 10 km from Łowicz.
3. **Piotrków Trybunalski** (About 45 km south · Piotrków): Seat of the Crown Tribunal for centuries, with a castle and old walls.
4. **Sulejów Abbey** (About 55 km south-east · Sulejów): A 12th-century Cistercian abbey, among Poland's best preserved.

## Festivals & annual events in Łódź (2026)

- **DOZ Łódź Marathon** (10–12 April 2026): Three days of racing from Atlas Arena, with the 2026 Polish marathon championships.
- **Łódź Design Festival** (May): Exhibitions, talks and showrooms across the post-industrial venues, held each spring.
- **Fotofestiwal** (18–28 June 2026): The 25th edition of Poland's largest photography festival, much of it free.
- **Łódź Summer Festival** (24–26 July 2026): A free outdoor music festival on Łódzkie Błonia, two stages over three days.
- **City anniversary** (29 July): Łódź marks the 1423 town charter with events on Piotrkowska and the Old Market.
- **Festival of Four Cultures** (September): Polish, Jewish, German and Russian Łódź, through concerts, theatre and talks.
- **Light.Move.Festival** (25–27 September 2026): Large-format projections and light installations across the city centre.
- **Explorers Festival** (November): Climbers, sailors and expedition filmmakers, organised by the Łódź Trekking Club.

## Must-try dishes in Łódź, Poland

- **Zalewajka**: Sour rye soup with potatoes, the city's signature since the 19th century.
- **Prażoki**: Steamed potato and flour dumplings, served with cracklings.
- **Śledź pod pierzynką**: Herring under a blanket of potato and apple.
- **Knedle**: Potato dumplings stuffed with plums or strawberries.
- **Żulik**: A dark, sweet bread studded with dried fruit.
- **Angielka**: The white bread roll Łódź calls by its own name.
- **Gefilte fish**: Jewish Łódź's festive dish, still served at Anatewka.
- **Beef roulade**: The mill owners' Sunday dish, with beef or veal.

## Łódź transport & airports

- **Łódź Airport** (LCJ): Władysław Reymont Airport, about 8 km out, flies mostly Ryanair routes. Buses 65A and 65B reach Łódź Kaliska in about 25 minutes. [Website](https://www.lodz-airport.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Rail** (PKP): Łódź Fabryczna, rebuilt underground in 2016, sits in the centre. Trains reach Warszawa Centralna in roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 35. [Website](https://www.intercity.pl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Trams and buses** (MPK): MPK Łódź runs the tram and bus network on time-based tickets. Its English site has every timetable and fare. [Website](https://www.mpk.lodz.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **On foot** (Walk): Piotrkowska is largely pedestrian, and Manufaktura, Księży Młyn and EC1 sit within a short tram ride of it.

## Łódź at a glance

- **Country:** Poland
- **Region:** Łódź Voivodeship (capital)
- **Population:** About 640,000 (2025 estimate)
- **Founded:** Town rights 1423, from Władysław Jagiełło
- **Nickname:** The Promised Land (Ziemia Obiecana)
- **Language:** Polish
- **Currency:** Polish złoty (PLN)
- **Time zone:** CET (UTC+1), CEST in summer
- **Calling code:** +48
- **Airports:** Łódź Władysław Reymont (LCJ)
- **Power:** 230 V, type E plugs
- **Emergency:** 112

## Interesting facts

- King Władysław Jagiełło granted Łódź its town rights on 29 July 1423, at Przedbórz on the Pilica.
- Łódź joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Film in 2017.
- Piotrkowska Street runs about 4.2 km, one of the longest commercial streets in Europe.
- The Jewish Cemetery covers about 40 hectares, among the largest in Europe.
- Strzemiński's Neoplastic Room was painted over in 1950 and rebuilt by his student in 1960.

## Łódź travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Łódź?

Two days covers the centre: Piotrkowska, Manufaktura and the Poznański Palace on one, Muzeum Sztuki, Księży Młyn and the film museum on the other. Add a third for EC1, the Orientarium or the Jewish Cemetery, each of which deserves a half day.

### Is Łódź worth visiting?

Yes, for what no other Polish city has at this scale: a whole 19th-century mill town, its factories, palaces and workers' housing still standing and put back to use. Add a serious modern art museum and the country's film heritage, and two days fill easily.

### How do you get from Warsaw to Łódź?

By train. Services from Warszawa Centralna reach the underground Łódź Fabryczna station in about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 35, depending on the train. Fabryczna is in the centre, a short walk or tram ride from Piotrkowska.

### Are there free museum days in Łódź?

Yes. Muzeum Sztuki is free on Fridays across its branches, and the Museum of the City of Łódź in the Poznański Palace opens its permanent exhibitions free on Wednesdays. Most museums close on Mondays, so plan around that.

### Why is Łódź called the city of film?

The Łódź Film School, founded in 1948, trained Wajda, Polański and Kieślowski, and the city was a centre of Polish film production. UNESCO named it a City of Film in 2017, and the Avenue of Stars on Piotrkowska honours the names.

## Nearby guides

- [Toruń](https://wimup.com/city/torun.md): Poland · 10 picks
- [Katowice](https://wimup.com/city/katowice.md): Poland · 10 picks
- [Lublin](https://wimup.com/city/lublin.md): Poland · 10 picks
- [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 148 cities

Part of the [Poland guide](https://wimup.com/country/poland.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md)

## Sources

- [Łódź tourism board](https://lodz.travel/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Piotrkowska Street (official site)](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/piotrkowska-street/off-piotrkowska/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Manufaktura (official site)](https://manufaktura.com/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Muzeum Sztuki ms1 (official site)](https://msl.org.pl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Księży Młyn (official site)](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/ksiezy-mlyn/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Museum of Cinematography (official site)](https://muzeumkinematografii.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Poznański Palace (official site)](https://muzeum-lodz.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [EC1 (official site)](https://ec1lodz.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Jewish Cemetery (official site)](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/litzmannstadt-ghetto/the-jewish-cemetary/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Central Museum of Textiles (official site)](https://cmwl.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Orientarium Zoo Łódź (official site)](https://orientarium.lodz.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Muzeum Sztuki ms2 (official site)](https://msl.org.pl/en/ms2?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Radegast Station (official site)](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/litzmannstadt-ghetto/radegast-station/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Avenue of Stars (official site)](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/cinematic-lodz/walk-of-fame/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Łódź Film School (official site)](https://filmschool.lodz.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [OFF Piotrkowska (official site)](https://offpiotrkowska.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Owoce i Warzywa (official site)](https://lodz.travel/en/tourism/where-to-eat/cafes-and-pastry-shops/owoce-i-warzywa/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Botanical Garden (official site)](https://www.botaniczny.lodz.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Łódź Airport (official site)](https://www.lodz-airport.pl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Rail (official site)](https://www.intercity.pl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Trams and buses (official site)](https://www.mpk.lodz.pl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.