Łódź is Poland’s third-largest city, home to roughly 650,000 people, and it’s best known for its dramatic 19th-century boom as a textile-manufacturing powerhouse—often nicknamed the “Polish Manchester.” Although the settlement dates back to medieval times (it received town rights in 1423), most of the city’s look and identity were shaped by the factory era, when red-brick mills, workers’ housing and grand industrialists’ villas transformed it into one of Europe’s great industrial cities. Today the centre is built for walking: Piotrkowska Street is one of the longest commercial streets in Europe, lined with cafés, bars and street art, while the converted Manufaktura complex and the EC1 Łódź cultural zone show how the old industry has been repurposed. Other highlights include the atmospheric Księży Młyn industrial district, Łódź’s famous murals, and a strong film legacy tied to the nationally important Łódź Film School.

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