Short article on Lodz

Lodz is one of the more interesting places on the map of Poland and my favorite weekend trip destination. Located not far from Warsaw, it’s an unusual city full of contradictions. Walls of old, dilapidated but once beautiful buildings stand in contrast to the vibrant life, and bumpy streets along with dark alleys make one either love or hate this city’s architecture. Lodz cannot be an unquestionably beautiful city, because for centuries it’s been a center of industry. The first mention of the city dates back to 14th century, but its most dynamic development took place in 19th century. During that time, within several dozen of years Lodz has changed from a small town (4 000 inhabitants in 1830 and 40 000 in 1914 ) to an industrial metropolis of 300 000 inhabitants in 1900 and 500 000 in 1914. It was a world record of demographic growth. In time, large factories were built and the city became famous for its textile industry. Today, the walls of old houses and factories are full of history and charm. They are inhabited by native Lodzers and many students. There are about 20 institutions of higher education in Lodz, with about 120 000 students. Just the famous Lodz Film School, whose alumni include Roman Polanski among others, attracts students not only from Poland, but from all over the world! The heart of Lodz is my favorite Piotrkowska Street – one of Europe’s longest shopping streets with the length of 4900 meters! All the most important offices, banks, shops and above all pubs and restaurants are situated along it. In afternoons and evenings, Lodz’s cultural and social life thrives in its innumerable cafes. No mater what day of the week – there’s always something going on: exhibitions, concerts, recitals, fairs of crafts produced by art students or street performances. I, my friends and probably inhabitants of other large cities appreciate the fact that when it comes to Lodz’s nightlife, all the best clubs are located near each other, along one street. Thanks to that, an evening on the town never ends at 11 PM… Thanks to the investments in the last few years, fans of cinema and shopping will also feel good in Lodz. In addition to the many boutiques on Piotrkowska Street, there are several shopping centers. The latest one – Manufaktura Lodz – is one of the largest shopping areas in this part of Europe and is located in beautifully renovated buildings of an old factory – once the empire of Lodz’s cotton king – Izrael Poznanski. So, Lodz’s beauty doesn’t lie in well-kept facades and cleanly swept streets. My favorite city’s charm lies in the walls of old buildings, behind which there is the city’s interesting history, hundreds of pubs, cafes and interesting people – students, artists, ordinary inhabitants and tourists from all over the world. All that in one place – in an inimitable setting!