Lodz is one of the largest cities of Poland. Although it is considered to be a relatively young city, its history has more than 670 years. The first chronicle record of the town dates back to 1332 when it was called the village of Lodzia owned by the bishop Kuyavi. During this rather large amount of time the city has managed to accumulate a unique cultural heritage of Poland, to please its visitors and tourists.
At the moment, Lodz is a large industrial, commercial, financial, scientific and cultural center of Poland. The city has also an international airport Lyublinek, claiming to be an important center of aviation in Poland. Near the airport is located a major transport hub, where will be built important motorways of the European road net.
After the Second World War the city of Lodz, as well as most other Polish cities, was literally ruined. Almost all architecture buildings had to be rebuilt again. In the first place in Lodz had been restored industrial buildings, there was no time for restoration of monuments.
But now there is much to be proud of in Lodz. Here were restored the palaces and industrial buildings of XIX century of great cultural value, and reflection in it’s plexus of several cultures creates a unique impression. There were restored a lot of residences, buildings, villas, mansions and palaces. Also in Lodz there is a large botanical garden and more than thirty parks.
In Lodz is located the largest park in Poland and in Europe, "Lagevniki Forest " with an area of more than 1200 hectares, which is a part of a larger landscape reserve "Lodz Hills." Also there is the park "Zrudliska with the restored palm orangery. Also, the city has a network of modern multi-purpose sport facilities and several beaches.
The most popular tourist attractions of Lodz are the architectural complex of Ksenzi Mlýn and a unique palace-and-factory complex of Karol Wilhelm Shaybler, where now locates the Museum of the interiors of palaces-residences of the manufacturers of Lodz. Also it will be interesting to visit the palace of industrialist Israel Kalmanovich of Poznan, where also situated the Museum of city history and the Museum of Art, and an architectural ensemble "White Factory" with a gallery, which holds the exhibition of Polish contemporary decorative fabrics.
No less interesting will be to visit in Lodz a magnificent villa in Art Nouveau style of Leopold Kinderman. Now there are art gallery, museums, cinema, archeological and ethnographic museums and the Museum of textile production.
Among the monuments of the religious building should be mentioned a Franciscan Monastery in the Baroque style and wooden chapels in the city park "Lagevniki Forest ". No less interesting are the Archiepiscopal Cathedral of St. Stanislaw Kostka, famous for its tower height of a hundred meters, as well as the Evangelical-Augsburg church of St. Matthew and the Orthodox Church of Alexander Nevsky. In addition, in Lodz there are the only survived synagogue and the largest in Europe the New Jewish Cemetery, which was founded more than one hundred years ago.
Lodz is also known for its rich cultural life. In September it holds the "Festival of Four Cultures", where are invited famous singers from Russia, Poland, Germany and Israel. In Lodz also take place other fascinating cultural events.
In addition Lodz can boasts with the longest market street in Europe. Being the main street of the city, it has the length of over four kilometers. There are a variety of shops, antique stores, art galleries, theaters, restaurants, pubs, discos, cafes, and many central institutions and banks.
