Once a centre of industry, Lodz (pronounced Woodtsch) has manage to recover from the slump it suffered when the factories shut down, and it is now a modern city well worth visiting.
At a glance…
- Days To Spend: 1 or 2 days
- Get Around: By bus or tram
- Get In and Out: By train or flight
- Pay: Polish Zloty, with either cash or card
- Speak: Polish if you can, but English is spoken by many
- See: Manufaktura, Light Museum
- Should you go?: Yup!
General Impressions
Lodz is a relatively new city in Poland, having grown around the textile industry in the 19th century. In the modern era, the factories shut down, and Lodz became more and more destitute. Fortunately, it managed to evolve past this, and established itself as one of Poland’s premier cities. Though it lacks the rich history of other Polish cities like Krakow, Warsaw, or Lublin, it is still worth a visit.
Public Transport
Getting Around
The city has both a tram and a bus network, for some of the more far out destinations. The centre itself (where the majority of attractions are concentrated) is very walkable however, and the train station is very close to the centre.
Getting In and Out
Lodz has both a train station and an airport. The train station is well connected with other cities in Poland, most notably Warsaw.
Money
Poland uses the Polish Zloty, and you’ll be pleased to find that Lodz is generally a little cheaper than the more well-known cities in Poland. You’ll also find most places accept card, though smaller independent shops generally prefer cash, and sometimes only accept it.
Language
If you can speak Polish then definitely use that here. You’ll probably get incredulous looks if you’re a foreigner. However, pretty much all young people speak English very well, and you should be able to get your point across to most other people as well.
Time
There’s a few things worth doing in Lodz, and more if you’re interested in the many museums present in the city. I would spend about a day in the city, maybe 2 if multiple museums take your fancy.
My Favourite Spots
Manfuktura
Once one of the biggest factories in Lodz, Manufaktura has been transformed into a shopping/cultural centre. It’s a great place to find all kinds of shops and restaurants, and to see the transformation of Lodz directly.
Light Museum
An interesting, if obscure museum, that features a corridor filled with various rooms that involve different tricks of the light. The idea is that you go there to take lots of interesting photos, and it certainly delivers on that.
Conclusion
Lodz is a nice city, and it’s close proximity to other major Polish cities (and relatively cheaper air fares), makes the city a great destination for people wanting a stop over point in a Poland itinerary.
We May Roam 