Top 5 things to do in Łódź, Poland: a tourist’s guide with best nearby eats

Piotrkowska Street buzzes with life, where old architecture meets everyday rhythm. Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash

Piotrkowska Street stretches on like a living museum of Łódź — best explored at your own pace and preferably without an agenda. Spanning over 4 km, it’s one of the longest commercial thoroughfares in Europe and the city’s historic soul. Think grand 19th-century townhouses turned boutiques, bars, and galleries, interrupted by urban sculptures, murals, and spontaneous accordion players. The architecture is eclectic, fading in places, but that only adds to the “gritty elegance” charm. Daytime, you’ll wander into indie bookshops and coffee dens; by night, it turns into a pedestrian party zone.

If you’re into city people-watching, this is the place — students, artists, street performers, and suspiciously fashionable dogs all make appearances. And if you want a unique souvenir, pop into the Off Piotrkowska hub, a cluster of old factories turned design studios and vegan street food stalls. It’s very walkable and layered with visual history.

Google Maps coordinates: Piotrkowska, Off Piotrkowska hub

A stone’s throw from Piotrkowska, Ato Sushi is a favorite for anyone craving proper sushi in a city better known for pierogi. The menu goes well beyond the usual hits — expect beetroot-infused rice or tempura with a spicy mayo that packs a surprising kick.

Inside, the decor is all clean lines and minimalist comfort, which makes the food pop even more. The chefs take visible pride in presentation — plates look like edible calligraphy. The tuna nigiri is silky. The maki rolls strike perfect balance. Even miso soup, usually easy to overlook, arrives with confident umami depth. Vegetarians find genuine options, not just the usual pity edamame.

It’s not overly formal, but it does feel a step up from casual. Great for a date, a solo lunch with dignity, or impressing friends who still think Poland is all dumplings and potatoes (though no shade to those either).

Average bill for two: Around 200 PLN with drinks — absolutely worth it.

EC1 blends history with futuristic curves. Source: www.facebook.com/EC1LodzMiastoKultury

EC1 is Łódź’s most ambitious resurrection project: a former power plant from 1907 turned into a futuristic science and culture center. The exterior still shows the brick-and-steel look of a power station, but step inside and the atmosphere shifts entirely — refined and purposeful. There’s a planetarium, a labyrinthine science and technology center, and an exhibition space that’s somehow both industrial and pristine.

The hands-on science exhibits engage kids and adults alike, flipping boring physics into an exciting process of discovery. Everything is beautifully interactive — think turbines, holograms, particle experiments, and if you’re ever lost, there are professional guides or audio explanations ready to catch you up.

Upstairs, the National Centre for Film Culture is still developing, but you can already watch short films, see installations, and enjoy retrospectives that show the city’s cinematic spirit.

The place works as a half-day trip or even longer, especially on gray days when wandering outdoors feels like a bad idea.

Google Maps coordinates: EC1 Łódź – City of Culture
Learn more on the official website

Just off Piotrkowska, a 10-minute meander from EC1, Imber delivers some of the most comforting, well-fed plates in the city. The name means “ginger” in Yiddish, and while the seasoning isn’t always literal, the warmth definitely is.

The kitchen leans Polish-Jewish, but with a modern hand — matzo ball soup with velvety broth and herbs, duck leg confit with pickled plum, challah toast with whipped herring mousse that somehow makes sense. Portions are generous but not sloppy, and the plating is elegant without feeling overdone.

The space hits that magic middle ground: dark wood, soft lighting, and enough greenery to feel lively while still looking natural. Staff are relaxed, quick to offer a pairing, and genuinely into the food (you’ll get a proper opinion if you ask what’s best tonight). Here, you’ll see couples, writers, and a few regulars who have definitely “discovered” this place — and don’t mind sharing it.

Expect to spend around 150–170 PLN for two, especially if wine or house-infused vodka joins the party. Which it should.

Brewka’s mural “Together” turns childhood memories into a 150 m² symbol of hope. Source: www.facebook.com/urbanforms

Łódź has quietly become one of Europe’s street art capitals, and the Urban Forms Gallery is the reason why. Spread across town, this collection of over 80 large-scale murals turns it into an open-air gallery where color and creativity are around every corner.

Start on Piotrkowska and make your way to spots like Wólczańska and Sienkiewicza streets, where façades explode with works by international legends like Etam Cru, Aryz, and Inti. Some pieces are whimsical, others politically loaded, but all are impossible to ignore. The best part about this stroll — there’s no ticket, no queue, and no museum hush. Just you, the street, and a lot of glorious wall-sized paint.

Tip: Download the Mural map or book a guided tour if you’re serious about chasing them all. Otherwise, just follow the colors. Either way, you’ll probably end up in some part of Łódź you never meant to see — and that’s half the point.

Learn more on the official website

Once your neck’s tired from staring up at five-story murals, wander a few doors down to Złoty Imbir — a cozy spot known for its bold Sichuan flavors with surprising twists from Beijing and Canton. It’s a rare chance around here to try something a bit more exotic than the usual Polish fare.

The menu goes all in: chili oil wontons that tingle in all the right ways, twice-cooked pork that crackles with intensity, and mapo tofu that’s somehow both volcanic and comforting. Portions are generous and made for sharing, though you may not want to.

Inside, the space leans sleek: charcoal walls, warm gold accents, and just enough lighting to feel intimate without needing a flashlight to read the menu. This spot is great for groups, solo spice-seekers, or anyone who thinks “mild” is a missed opportunity. Expect 160–190 PLN for two, depending on how adventurous you get with sides, soup, and whether you let the jasmine tea or house wine call the shots.

The mausoleum of Poznański, an industrial magnate of 19th-century Łódź. Photo by Lawenda25, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 PL

The New Jewish Cemetery in Łódź feels less like a graveyard and more like a majestic portal to the past. Established in 1892, it's one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe and holds over 180,000 graves, many of which are draped in ivy, cracked by time, or embellished with Hebrew, Polish, and Yiddish inscriptions.

You don’t need to be religious, or even spiritual, to feel the weight here. Mausoleums shaped like temples, crumbling obelisks, and mossy tombstones turn the grounds into a sculptural forest. The silence is powerful — especially knowing how the Jewish community of Łódź was decimated during the Holocaust. This place remembers what city plaques often sanitize.

Notable names rest here, like industrial magnate Izrael Poznański (yes, the guy with the palace — you’ll get to that later). A stroll through the main avenue feels like reading a layered biography of a city that once pulsed with Jewish life and culture.
Go on a cloudy day if you want maximum cinematic impact.

Google Maps coordinates: Jewish cemetery in Łódź

If you need a moment of cozy cultural healing after the cemetery, Anatewka is where you go. There are two locations, but the one near Piotrkowska and the Grand Hotel is especially atmospheric — candle-lit, violin-serenaded, and lined with tchotchkes that toe the line between charming and delightfully old-school.

The food here is Jewish-Polish, made simply and with care. Think kreplach (Jewish dumplings), cholent (a slow-cooked Sabbath stew), chopped liver, and soups with the kind of warmth and depth that feel like a good story on a cold day. The gefilte fish has its defenders, but the duck with apples is an undisputed classic.

Staff wear vintage-style outfits, there’s always a gentle soundtrack of klezmer in the background, and the service is relaxed without slipping into lazy. Even if heavy Eastern European food isn’t usually your vibe, this place makes it feel easy and inviting.

For two, expect 140–170 PLN, depending on drinks and whether dessert nudges your willpower.

Poznański Palace, a lavish blend of styles and statues. Photo by Scotch Mist, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Welcome to Pałac Izraela Poznańskiego, often called the “Louvre of Łódź.” If Piotrkowska Street is the city’s spine, this grand residence is certainly one of its defining landmarks. Built by textile magnate Izrael Poznański, the palace is a striking mix of neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance architecture, now home to the Museum of the City of Łódź.

Inside, you’ll find marble staircases, ornate chandeliers, parquet floors, and mirrors that hint at past opulence. But beyond the décor, the museum offers a thoughtful look at the city’s history — from its industrial boom and multicultural foundations to its influence on Polish cinema. There's even a room dedicated to world-renowned pianist and Łódź native Artur Rubinstein.

Next door is the Manufaktura complex — once a working textile factory, now a lively center for shopping, dining, and the arts. It’s a striking contrast that captures Łódź’s ability to balance history and reinvention.

Visit in the late afternoon, when golden light filters through the palace windows. Bring a camera — the details are worth it.

Google Maps coordinates: Izrael Poznański's Palace

Once you've soaked in all that aristocratic excess, it's only fitting to dine where mill workers once clocked in. Enter Bawełna (Polish for “cotton”), located inside the red-brick labyrinth of Manufaktura. Industrial bones, glass ceilings, and creative Mediterranean-Polish fusion make this one of the most popular spots in the city — though thankfully it still feels more cool than crowded.

Their pizza is next-level (thin, blistered, wood-fired) and the pasta's made fresh. But don’t sleep on the local curveballs: trout with roasted celery, beef tartare with mustard ice cream, or seasonal salads that somehow feel indulgent. The wine list is thoughtful without being intimidating, and their house lemonade is one of those things people keep coming back for. Service is fast, friendly, and occasionally flirty, depending on your luck.

You’re eating in a place that used to be a textile warehouse, but it now serves risotto with truffle oil. That’s the kind of contrast Łódź thrives on.

Total for two, wine included: Roughly 180 PLN — or, as they say here, “a few bolts of gourmet cotton.”

Curious to see what the rest of Poland has to offer? Check out our other guides — there’s plenty more to discover:

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