There are several places in Łódź available to tourists, from which we can observe the panorama of the entire city or its individual districts. In the center of Łódź there are no significant terrain differences (although remember that the difference in terrain height for the entire administrative area of Łódź is as much as 121 meters), therefore the most interesting viewpoints in the center are located on the tops of tall buildings. On the outskirts of the city, especially in the north-eastern and southern parts, there are natural and partially natural hills. From one of them - Rudzka Góra - in favorable weather conditions you can even see the chimneys of the Bełchatów power plant, located approximately 50 km from Łódź.
The most famous and recommended viewing point in Łódź is located at the top of the EC1 cooling tower. The observation deck located there is part of the EC1 Science and Technology Center. The cooling tower is 40 meters high and is equivalent to approximately the 13th floor. From the vantage point we can basically observe the entire center of Łódź. We can easily see Piotrkowska Street, the Śródmieście Residential District (the so-called Manhattan), but also the towers of Łódź churches and the buildings of Widzew and Retkinia. To use the observation deck, you must purchase an entrance ticket to the EC1 Science and Technology Center. The terrace is available during the Center's opening hours, i.e. from Tuesday to Sunday from 10-18. You can get to the viewing point via a staircase or use the elevator serving the section from the "Man in Space" educational zone to the terrace itself.
Another viewing point in Łódź eagerly visited by tourists is the terrace next to the Factory Museum in Manufaktura. Use of the terrace is possible during the Museum's opening hours (Tuesday - Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.). A ticket to enter the terrace costs PLN 4, although it is best to use a combined ticket including visiting the museum and entering the terrace, which costs PLN 15 (discount PLN 10).
The viewpoint at the Factory Museum is one of the most popular places in Łódź to take photos against the background of the post-industrial landscape of Łódź, dominated by red brick. From the terrace we can observe the panorama of the entire Manufaktura, and the installed board will help us understand what functions the visible buildings served in the past.
However, if we want to observe the panorama of Manufaktura from the opposite place to the terrace next to the Factory Museum, it is worth going to SkyFLY Bar located on the top floor of the Vienna House by Wyndham Andel's Łódź hotel. This is a place where we can not only admire the stunning view of the entire center of Łódź, but we should also order a cocktail. The local drink recipes enjoy an exceptional reputation throughout Łódź. The bar has a large terrace with deckchairs in the summer season.
On the opposite side of Ogrodowa Street we will find another tall building, which is also another hotel with a bar and a viewing terrace on the top floor. We are talking about the PURO Łódź hotel. The view from the terrace here has a slightly different character. The viewing exhibition has a significantly smaller scope than in the points discussed so far, but at the same time it is the best place to observe the most valuable monuments of Łódź: the Poznański Palace and the former spinning factory. From the terrace of the PURO hotel we can also easily see the church towers in the Old Town and the buildings of Bałuty. Spirit Bar, as this place is called, will also delight you with the unique taste of the cocktails served.
An alternative and free way to admire the panorama of Łódź or individual parts of the city are viewing points on partially natural hills located on the outskirts of the city. The most famous viewpoint of this type is Rudzka Góra - a partially artificial hill 230 m above sea level. Rudzka Góra is located in the southern part of Łódź, in the Ruda Pabianicka district, in the quarter of the following streets: Democrata, Starorudzka, Ekonomiczna and Żwawa. From the top of Rudzka Góra there is a view of the southern part of Łódź, Pabianice and Rzgów. In favorable weather conditions, you can also see the chimneys of the Bełchatów power plant, 50 km away in a straight line. Rudzka Góra is also a place for practicing various sports and recreation. There are: a toboggan run, a downhill track and even small ski jumps of sizes (HS) 7 and 20
