Stand on Piotrkowska Street on a summer evening and the city's logic becomes clear: a dead-straight line of nineteenth-century facades, courtyards and shopfronts, with no cars to interrupt the walk. Łódź grew fast as a textile town, and the wealth and hardship of that growth are still legible in its palaces, factories, tenement houses and cemeteries.
The city suits travellers who prefer industrial history, architecture and difficult twentieth-century memory to conventional old-town sightseeing. It also suits film enthusiasts, given the city's association with the National Film School and its UNESCO City of Film status.
This guide covers the principal sights, grouped so you can walk between them, and ends with a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Łódź
1. Piotrkowska street
One of the longest commercial streets in Europe and the spine of any visit, running in a straight line from Liberty Square (Plac Wolności) to Independence Square (Plac Niepodległości). Pubs, bars, restaurants and attractions line the route, and because cross streets carry motor vehicles but Piotrkowska itself does not, you get roughly 5 km of fairly carefree strolling.
Walk it in one direction rather than doubling back, and use it to reach several of the sights below, including the Walk of Fame and Ludwik Geyer's Mansion.
2. Manufaktura (Centrum Manufaktura)
The largest shopping mall in the city, occupying old factory buildings between Zachodnia, Ogrodowa, Karskiego and Drewnowska streets. The easiest way to get there is from Zachodnia Street, which is the extension of Kościuszki Street.
It is a practical base for a half-day: the ms2 museum is inside the complex, and Poznański Palace, St. Joseph's Church and the Old cemetery are all next to it.
3. Poznański Palace (Pałac Poznańskiego)
A beautiful 19th-century building put up by Izrael Poznański, a textile magnate and philanthropist. Today it holds the Museum of the City of Łódź, with rooms and exhibitions devoted to figures including the writer Julian Tuwim and the pianist Artur Rubenstein, alongside collections from the daily lives of the city's residents.
It sits next to the Manufaktura complex at ul. Ogrodowa 15, so combine the two. Note that it is closed on Mondays.
4. ms1 (Muzeum Sztuki)
One of the first museums of modern art in Europe, with an impressive collection of Polish and international 20th-century art. It occupies a building that belonged to the Poznański family, the same family as the palace housing the Museum of the City of Łódź.
After leaving, take Gdańska street and go 50 metres north to see the building of the Music Academy, formerly one of Izrael Poznański's houses; if you are confident enough you can go in via the entrance on ul. 1 Maja to see an elegant stained-glass window on the first floor. Admission is free on Fridays.
5. ms2 (Muzeum Sztuki squared)
Dedicated mostly to the Collection of 20th and 21st Century Art, housed in a 19th-century weaving plant that was part of the Poznański family textile manufacture and is now part of Manufaktura. It is best understood as an extension of ms1, with a larger exhibition area.
A combined ticket also covers ms1 and the Herbst Palace, and admission is free on Fridays.
6. White Factory (Biała Fabryka Geyera)
An old factory at ul. Piotrkowska 282 that holds the city's Textile Museum. It stands next to a small lake and is very nicely lit during the evenings.
Pair it with Ludwik Geyer's Mansion nearby, and consider timing your visit for dusk.
7. Księży Młyn
A large complex of 19th-century textile factories next to Źródliska Park. It is the clearest surviving expression of the industrial city, and Karol Scheibler's Palace stands beside it.
Combine the two, and continue to the Old cemetery and Karol Scheibler's Chapel, both on ul. Ogrodowa.
8. Karol Scheibler's Palace (Pałac Karola Scheiblera)
A Neo-Renaissance palace at Plac Zwycięstwa, next to Księży Młyn, which today hosts the Film Museum.
It fits naturally into a walk between Księży Młyn and the Old cemetery.
9. Jewish cemetery (Cmentarz Żydowski w Łodzi)
The largest Jewish cemetery in Europe, entered from ul. Zmienna in the Bałuty district. The Poznanski mausoleum near the entrance is a beautiful memorial, and the many tall trees and vines make it green, leafy and peaceful to explore.
It is open Sunday to Friday, except on Jewish holidays when it is closed; hours run 09:00 to 17:00 from 1 April to 1 November and 09:00 to 15:00 from 2 November to 31 March. Admission is 15 zł, free on the first Sunday of the month.
10. Litzmannstadt Ghetto (Getto Łódzkie)
The second largest Jewish ghetto in Poland after the Warsaw Ghetto, referred to both as the Łódź Ghetto and the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, the latter name coming from the German general who captured the city in World War I and after whom the entire city was later renamed. It was the last ghetto to be liquidated, owing to the high productivity of the slave labourers and a lack of armed resistance.
See Holocaust remembrance for context before you visit, and treat the sites as places of mourning rather than sightseeing.
11. Radegast Station
On Radegast Stalowa Street, this is the station from which thousands of people were herded to Polish death camps. After World War II it lay in ruins for many years, but in 2002 efforts began to turn it into one of the museums of the Łódź ghetto.
You can walk around most of the station free of charge. It remains a sad and solemn place.
12. Old Market Square (Rynek Starego Miasta)
At ul. Kilinskiego 56, next to Staromiejski Park. It was once incorporated into the ghetto, and now serves as a venue for concerts and fairs.
Combine it with the Decalogue Memorial in the adjoining park.
13. The Decalogue Memorial (Pomnik Dekalogu w Łodzi)
A tribute to the coexistence of Poles and Jews, in the Staromiejski Park at ul. Kilinskiego 56, close to the Old Market Square.
It is a short stop, best folded into a walk around the Old Market Square and the park.
14. Łódź Walk of Fame (Aleja Gwiazd)
On ul. Piotrkowska, between 6 Sierpnia Street and Rubinstein Passage. As the Polish Hollywood, Łódź has its own Walk of Fame, with names including Pola Negri, Roman Polański and Andrzej Wajda.
It lies directly on the Piotrkowska street walk, so you will pass it without a detour.
15. Dętka (Museum of Łódź Sewage System)
A museum of the old sewage system in a circular brick water tank below plac Wolności, built in 1926. It accommodates a maximum of 10 people inside, so no big bags, and you should not go in if you are claustrophobic.
It is closed Monday and Tuesday. Admission is 10 zł, reduced 7 zł, with a guide for 3 zł. It sits at the Liberty Square end of Piotrkowska street, making it a natural start or finish to that walk.
If you only have one day
Morning. Begin at Liberty Square, where Dętka sits underground, then walk the length of Piotrkowska street towards Independence Square, passing the Łódź Walk of Fame on the way. At the far end, stop at the White Factory and its Textile Museum, next to the small lake, and look in on Ludwik Geyer's Mansion near Independence Square.
Afternoon. Head to Manufaktura and spend the middle of the day between ms2 inside the complex and Poznański Palace next door, which houses the Museum of the City of Łódź. If time allows, walk from ms1 on ul. Więckowskiego to see the Music Academy building on Gdańska street.
Evening. Move on to Księży Młyn and Karol Scheibler's Palace, then finish at the Old cemetery on ul. Ogrodowa to see Karol Scheibler's Chapel. If you have the energy and the daylight, the Jewish cemetery on ul. Zmienna is a solemn, green place to end the day.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Jewish cemetery open?
Sunday to Friday, except on Jewish holidays when it is closed. From 1 April to 1 November it is open 09:00 to 17:00, and from 2 November to 31 March, 09:00 to 15:00.
Which museums are free on Fridays?
Both ms1 and ms2 offer free admission on Fridays. A combined ticket covering ms1, ms2 and the Herbst Palace is also available.
Is Dętka suitable for everyone?
No. It accommodates a maximum of 10 people inside, big bags are not allowed, and you should not go in if you are claustrophobic. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Can I walk between the main sights?
Piotrkowska street itself has no motor vehicles, giving you about 5 km of fairly carefree strolling from Liberty Square to Independence Square, and several sights sit directly on it or just off it.
Decide which of these you want most, check the days each place closes, and start building your route along Piotrkowska street.