Don't know what to do for the weekend? We recommend the top 3 walks in Lodz, where everybody will find something interesting for themselves.
Start your walk from the most important and characteristic square in Łódź, i.e. Wolności Square, where one of the symbols of the city stands – the monument of Tadeusz Kościuszko. After the recently completed renovation, this place looks completely different, Museum of the Sewer ‘Tube’ will reopen in the summer season. The next point to see is the former town hall – one of the first brick buildings in the city. At 3 Piotrkowska Street, we will enter the magical courtyard of the "Rose Passage'' with a mosaic of cut mirrors in the shape of roses, designed by Joanna Rajkowska. If you would like a little more magic, we invite you to the unique artistic installation "The Birth of the Day'' created by surrealist Wojciech Siudmak at 4 Więckowskiego Street. Do you want to see the dragons of Łódź? You will find them at Piotrkowska in the most beautiful tenement house in Łódź at number 86, and on the other side of the street stands the hero of bedtime cartoons – Miś Uszatek.
"And I prefer Łódź! It's dirt and smoke, they are happiness and delight to me!" This is what Julian Tuwim used to say, who sat down on a bench at the height of number 104, passing by the poet you cannot forget to rub his nose – it brings good luck! If you want to get to know the alternative side of Łódź, you have to go to OFF Piotrkowska. A former cotton factory has turned into a unique place full of creative premises, restaurants, pubs and showrooms.
For several years the unicorn has been a symbol of Łódź.You will find it at the Unicorn Stable, which is next to a huge tram stop with a rainbow roof at the intersection of Piotrkowska and Mickiewicza streets. And while you're at the unicorn, you can admire the largest mural with The Witcher in Poland and one of the largest in Europe. Did you know that The Witcher is a resident of Łódź? Andrzej Sapkowski - the author of the series about the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, comes from Łódź!
The empire of Karol Scheibler, the richest manufacturer in Łódź, was a kind of "city within a city". The oldest part of this factory complex is the Headquarters at 2 Zwycięstwa Square. Next to it stands the one-storey palace of the factory owner. Economical on the outside in the form of ornamentation, it contrasts with the splendor of the interiors. This facility is the seat of the Museum of Cinematography, and at the entrance you can see the sculpture of the cats Philemon and Bonifacy from the Fairy Tale Trail. Going further, we will enter the oldest city park – Źródliska Park. There are plane trees and monumental specimens of oaks, over 300 years old! Walking through the streets, you will find a sculpture of a charming sparrow Ćwirek standing near the Palm House. There grow, m.in, date palms, which come from the winter gardens of Łódź factory owners. Next to the park at Księży Młyn Street, we will see famuły, i.e. houses intended for workers of the nearby factory. At 30 Tymienieckiego Street, we will see a mounted fire station from 1891 with an observation tower. The original appearance of the building has been preserved to this day, including the original carriage house door and the alarm chime on the tower. Nearby at number 25, a monumental cotton spinning mill will appear to our eyes. It is the longest post-factory building in Lodz. Next door is the Herbst Palace. The residence was the home of Karol Scheibler's daughter Matilda and her husband Edward Herbst. It is now home to a branch of the Museum of Art in Lodz, and the exhibition on display shows factory interiors from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
We suggest starting the walk from the historic park in Zdrowiu, where adults can calm down, and the youngest will play in the play area on a unique playground. Then we invite you to the Orientarium ZOO Łódź, presenting the fauna and flora of Southeast Asia. The Orientarium occupies the area of nearly 10 full-size football pitches! It is the largest facility of this type in Poland and one of the largest and most modern in Europe. During the tour, you can observe demonstration animal feedings, including an extremely spectacular bath combined with feeding Indian elephants, feeding Sumatran orangutans, Malayan bears and sharks. Near the Zoo there is the Botanical Garden, which is a place of rest and respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. We can admire thousands of beautiful plants there. It is worth visiting the Garden with the arrival of spring, when magnolias, Japanese cherries, peonies and tulips will bloom.
Contrasting Łódź hides many mysterious and unusual places. We invite you to walk around the city and discover it from a previously unknown side.
