This February I spent
one week in Łódź, the third largest city in Poland. Łódź, the former textile
industry empire, is located in the central part of the country and it is a city
full of art, culture, creative business and amazing architecture. What I liked the most are the post-industrial areas that became space for new entertainment centers, ateliers, shops, studios and original clubs, pubs, restaurants etc.
I discovered the city
mostly by walking around, but also from locals who shared with us the best
things to do in this city. Below there is a list with interesting and famous
things that Łódź is offering and there are also some other great activities and
places that most probably you can’t find in the usual what-to-do
recommendations, but definitely must experience.
1.Loose some hours at Manufaktura
Manufaktura
is an old factory building - that belonged to Izrael Poznański - transformed into an arts centre, shopping mall, and
leisure complex in Łódź. Manufaktura is the largest shopping centre in Poland and it
really is impressive. It is a combination of industrial architecture on the outside with a modern design on the inside. While you are admiring the complex, try also a restaurant
or a coffee shop; they all look amazing inside – so different than the usual locals,
with highly creative interior design.
Manufaktura - Lodz
Manufaktura - Lodz
Manufaktura letters
Manufaktura - Lodz
Manufaktura - Lodz
Manufaktura - Lodz
Manufaktura - Lodz
Manufaktura -Lodz
2.Walk on Piotrkowska Street
Located in the center
of Łódź, Piotrkowska Street is the longest commercial street in Europe.
With a length of 4.9 km, it runs longitudinally in a straight line, between
Plac Wolności and Plac Niepodległości, and it is one of the main tourist attractions
of the city. You can find on this street the most important administrative
offices, banks, shops, restaurants and pubs and most of the events are also
taking place here.
Piotrkowska Street
Art on Piotrkowska Street
Restaurant on Piotrkowska Street
Bronze statue of Arthur Rubinstein
Piotrkowska Street
Bronze statue
3.Eat pancakes at Manekin
We had a couple of dinners
at Manekin.
I am telling you, these are not just the best pancakes in Łódź, but the best
ones that you will ever eat. You can choose from a variety of combinations from
fresh, with meet or vegetarian to sweet ones. Just take a look at the pictures
below.
Art_Inkubator in Fabryka Sztuki is a center for culture and
entrepreneurship, a place that supports creative people in their market
activity and realizes activities with the aim of promoting art.
Fabryka Sztuki also organises
many events that you could attend – theatre spectacles, concerts and
performances, festivals, workshops etc. The events are announced on the website.
Art_Inkubator - Building A
Art_Inkubator - Cafe
Art_Inkubator - Cafe
Buildings C and B joined by glass roof
Art_Inkubator
Art_Inkubator stage
5.Watch a movie at International Movie Night
The International Movie
Night is organised by Aliensin Łódź – an international and intercultural community which aims to
bring people together through art and culture. While I was in Łódź, I watched “Ida” – a movie
directed by Paweł Pawlikowski, that was set in this city. The movie won
the Oscar for The Best Foreign Language Film, so I can say that it was a beautiful experience.
International Movie Night with a group of amazing people
6.Eat dumplings (also known as pierogi)
The best dumplings in Łódź
(so I’ve been told) are at Galicja. You can find this restaurant
at Manufaktura (the exact address is st. Ogrodowa 19a). We ate there in the first
night and I really liked this place.
8.Go to OFF Piotrkowska and treat yourself at Eko Targ
OFF Piotrkowska
is a project that has taken over the former Ramisch factory, whose aim is to
stimulate Lodz through cultural activities, art and creative business. You can
find it at OFF Piotrkowska 138/140.
"Czesc" means "Hi" in Polish
Graffiti
OFF Piotrkowska
OFF Piotrkowska
OFF Piotrkowska
Every Saturday at OFF Piotrkowska Center there
is an Eko Targ. I went there and I enjoyed it. They let me taste the products
and I am telling you that everything was as delicious as it looks in the
photos.
OFF Piotrkowska - Eko Market
Eko Market
Home made eko bread
Home made eko sweets
Eko fish
Eko fruit juice
9.Walk through the city and admire the murals
Łódź is becoming an
important centre of street art in Poland and in the world. Let me start by
mentioning the Urban Forms Foundation,
that was created in 2009 with the aim of promoting “living” culture and art
that would improve the current image of Łódź, giving it a truly artistic and
original value.
The main tool to reach their
mission is large format painting done directly on the side elevations of
buildings. Here is the interesting part. The Urban Forms Gallery, the main project of Urban Forms Foundation,
is actually a permanent exhibition of street art in the public space of the
city that consists of more than 30 large format paintings, murals, created
directly on the blank walls of buildings along the main streets of Łódź. You
can visit the exhibition by foot. And here is a map with the location of every
mural in Łódź: http://www.galeriaurbanforms.org/
(you can find information about the artists by clicking on each number).
Mural in Lodz - Eduardo Kobra (Brazil) - Tribute to Arthur Rubinstein
Newcastle
upon Tyne is such a beautiful city and I was lucky enough to visit it for a
couple of days. I believe that the bridges are stunning, especially
the Millennium Bridge and I was amazed by the breathtaking views of the city
during the night.
I am in Łódź, Poland
and last night I came across a concept that I really liked so I want to share
it with you. We went to a bar on Piotrkowska
Street 102, where every Thursday night there is a Language Exchange
meeting. What is a Language Exchange?
A nice opportunity to interact with people from different countries, have
interesting conversations and maybe build friendships. If you enjoy meeting
people, especially from other nationalities and like sharing life stories and
experiences, this kind of event is perfect for you.
When you arrive there you
have to put on a sticker with your name, your native language and the other
languages that you know. Then you just start approaching people based on the
common language(s) that you can speak. I also read somewhere that some nights tables
are arranged by language – another way of connecting the people that are attending the meeting.
I found this concept
really interesting and fun. Plus, the place looks really nice. So I searched
whether there are such events in Bucharest as well, and I happily found
something similar: Language Exchange Bucharest.
Language Exchange Bucharest is a bit different, as it is focused on learning
and practicing foreign languages by speaking them with other people. The
meetings are organized weekly or once every 2 weeks in coffee shops and tea
houses and the languages used are English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and
Italian (only one language used per meeting). During the events you can communicate
in the meeting’s language but there are also other activities that you can
attend like film, karaoke, game night meetings, trips and parties. This idea is
also nice and all the meetings are free of charge. If you want more information about Language
Exchange Bucharest, follow their websiteor their Facebook page.
Do you have this kind
of meetings in your city/country?
Ready? OK, I don’t know what your answer is (I would
love it if you could share it with me through a comment), but usually
the answers to this question avoid the simplest solutions. What do I mean? It
appears that a simple “thank you!” and showing
gratitude to people around us help us feel happier. Watch this nice experiment
that shows us the importance of gratitude in our overall happiness.
