Custom tour packagesLodz

Once obscure, the industrial revolution brought fame and workers to Lodz (pronounced "Woodge") from around Europe, including many Germans and Jews. Once known as the "Polish Manchester," this 19th century boomtown period is still reflected in the city's vast repurposed textile mills, grand mansions, and renovated workers' tenements. The Nazi occupation was especially rough, as Lodz became home to occupied Europe's second largest Jewish ghetto, but ask Poles about the city today, and they'll tell you about its illustrious cinematic history. The city's National Film School has trained world-famous auteurs, including Andrzej Wajda, and the city's 19th century period has served as the setting for celebrated books and films. Today, the city is booming again, as an IT powerhouse, funding impressive new museums and the refurbishment of the city's stunning facades, which really put the "woah" in Lodz.