Łódź may look like it’s pronounced ‘Lodz,’ but it most certainly isn’t. It’s ‘Woodge’. In terms of age, Łódź is one of the youngest cities in Poland and a direct product of the Industrial Revolution. The birth of the textile industry saw Łódź dubbed ‘The Promised Land,’ with thousands flocking from central Europe, England and even Switzerland to make their fortunes. 
Unfortunately, WWII saw the high times come to an end and the city’s rich ethnic balance destroyed with the extermination of the Jewish population and the post-war exile of the city’s ethnic German population.
Today, however, Łódź remains an important cog in the Polish wheel. Derelict factories are being converted into luxury apartments, ‘Manufaktura’ – the largest shopping and entertainment development in Central Europe – ranks as one of the most impressive urban regeneration projects anywhere, and its success has inspired further bold urban planning projects. 
The famous film school founded in 1948 as a pet project of Stalin, has nurtured the talent of Polanski, Wajda and Kieslowski. Piotrkowska St – Europe’s longest pedestrian street – rates as one of Poland’s most famous party places. It’s lined with restaurants, beer gardens, hot-dog stands, and a mix of neo-renaissance and art nouveau buildings; some in chronic disrepair, others restored to their former glory. A statue dedicated to Arthur Rubenstein 
Constructed in 1887-1888 the neo-renaissance Grand was originally the work of Ludwik Meyer, though the building saw sweeping renovations (including an extra floor) in 1913, courtesy of the architect Dawid Lande – a man whose designs deeply influenced the appearance of Piotrkowska. Functioning as a hotel for over 100 consecutive years, the building has in the past sheltered an A-Z of heroes and villains, including Isadora Duncan, Roman Polański, Tito and Himmler.
Oh and my last visit to ANY church in Poland, and Łódź’s largest church, the Cathedral. A true Gothic masterpiece, it was built between 1901 and 1912, styled along the lines of a typical medieval cathedral, original drawings supposedly supplied by the Berlin architect, Emil Zillmann. Damaged by a fire in 1971, the Cathedral has been painstakingly restored including the addition of a new roof supported by modern steel trusses.
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