48 l
odz – pronounced ‘Wuj’ – is handily located halfway between Krakow and Warsaw and often referred to as
Poland’s Manchester. It’s a city packed with heritage buildings, many of which have been transformed into museums, galleries and cafes, and brings together a creative arts scene, spectacular architecture and some of Poland’s best restaurants. Plus, it has what might just be the world’s most beautiful Starbucks, tucked inside the former fire station at Manufaktura, a former industrial complex that is now a fine-dining hotspot. For clients in search of a second-time Polish city break, this small but surprising spot is one to watch.
DAY one
09.00: Manufaktura is a fantastic place for clients to kick off their exploration. This complex of rust-hued buildings (pictured) – a textile plant owned by ‘king of cotton’ Izrael Poznanski until the early 1900s – is now filled with bars, restaurants, museums and boutique shops. At Manufaktura’s Factory Museum, visitors can learn how the cotton industry transformed Lodz, making it the fastest-growing city in Europe in the early 1800s. Then they’ll watch a museum guide fire up one of the original looms and quickly understand why mill workers stuffed bread in their ears to protect their hearing.
12.00: For lunch, suggest nearby Spoldzielnia – one of the swankiest spots in Off Piotrkowska, another former cotton mill now filled with music venues, galleries, design studios and restaurants. Inside, splashes of neon pop against the artfully exposed brick walls; and popular dishes include zalewajka, a Polish soup made with mushrooms and marjoram.
travelweekly.co.uk
DESTINATIONS POLAND | EUROPE
hours in Lodz, Poland
Discover post-industrial heritage and movie magic in Poland’s answer to Manchester, writes Tamara Hinson
14.00: Urge clients to take a stroll along Piotrkowska Street which, at 2.5 miles, is one of Europe’s longest shopping streets. It’s lined with elegant wrought-iron lamps and baroque townhouses once owned by the city’s wealthiest mill owners. Those who delve behind these leafy laneways will find a wonderful selection of street art. A must-see is the Rose Passage, where artist Joanna Rajkowska has covered the houses of an entire alleyway with mirrored shards of glass. Then stop for poppy cake at nearby R Dybalski Patisserie to sample the strudel-like cake filled with poppy seeds, honey, dried fruits and nuts.
15.00: Time for a leisurely wander around Ksiezy Mlyn, built in the 1800s by industrialist Karol Scheibler, a champion of workers’ rights. Cobbled streets connect a castle-like former mill with workers’ accommodation, social clubs and hospitals. Current tenants include a hip barbershop and Stacja Zero cafe, where locals sip lattes on artfully mismatched furniture draped with blankets in traditional designs.
² 15 MAY 2025 39
PICTURE: Visit Lodz/
platinstudio.com
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