Łódź
Łódź is the third largest city in Poland, after Warsaw and Krakow, but it's not on most tourists' itineraries. I was lucky to have a friend who lived here, so came here for a whirlwind 2 nights and 1 full day.
Łódź has an industrial heritage, being a center for textile production since the 1800s. So, all of the buildings in town seem to be either factories, worker housing, or the elaborate mansions of factory owners. Here are some old worker apartments.
A testament to Poland's more recent economic development, some of these former industrial structures have been reincarnated. Notable is Manufaktura, a shopping, dining, hotel, and art museum complex in the center of town. The art museum is a branch of Muzeum Sztuki, and it had a great permanent exhibit featuring modern and contemporary Polish artists. The Manufaktura space is so large that it even accommodates this beach volleyball court!
The town is also known for its film heritage. Krzysztof Kieślowski and Roman Polanski are some of the more famous alumni of the National Film School in Łódź. My friend and I went to the Muzeum Kinematografii and saw a great exhibit on Polish animators, including Tadeusz Wilkosz who created films at the studio Se-ma-for in Łódź.
Running a very long stretch through town is Piotrkowska Street, a lively street lined with pubs and restaurants, as well as alleyways shooting off of it, also lined with pubs and restaurants. We went on a Wednesday night, and I already thought the scene was bustling. My friend assured me it was a quiet night by Piotrkowska Street standards.
Since my friend lived away from town amidst the fields, I was also able to experience some of the countryside. Poland really is a large country - about the same size as Germany - and a lot of the land is fields and forests. It was really peaceful staying out here.
