For many years, Łódź was generally perceived as a stereotypical working-class city with nothing to see for tourists. There are no royal castles, gothic cathedrals and other pearls of architecture.

However, the touristic trends have changed radically, and the 19th century industrial buildings, showing the technological, economic and cultural development of cities, have become new tourist attractions. As far as the above is concerned, Łódź is a wonder in the scale of entire Europe. Only here, on your way to the city centre, you can see perfectly preserved post-factory districts, still awe-inspiring enormous manufacturing plants or such architectural treasures as the original Art Nouveau EC-1 thermal-electric power plant. It is no wonder then that this authentic landscape of Łódź former mightiness has enchanted the American director David Lynch, who, in cooperation with the World Art Foundation, supports the projects which bring back the splendour of such places.

Nowadays, enormous amounts of money are being invested in revitalisation of post-factory complexes, old tenement houses and villas, and the city life, i.e. commerce, education, culture and entertainment, flourishes around industrial monuments. This shows that Łódź is so special, as one may experience history here not in stuffy museum halls, but during shopping, lunch, rickshaw ride, disco party or even every-day domestic life, which is now experienced by the residents of Księży Młyn and will be experienced by the residents of lofts located in the former Karol Scheibler's spinning mill.

Manufaktura has the most prominent place on the tourist map of Łódź. It was developed for four years, and now is the biggest commerce and entertainment centre in Poland. The complex has been based on the monumental Izrael Poznański's cotton mills which stretch for a few hundred metres along Ogrodowa Street (on the other side, there are still inhabited 19th century workers' houses) and also between Zachodnia and Drewnowska Streets. The mightiness and exquisite beauty of these buildings is really impressive. The characteristic shapes made of red brick, not covered with plasterwork, and simple, austere architectural compositions combine here with cutting-edge materials and technologies. The huge arch of the brick main entrance gate is one of the most recognisable icons of the city.

Manufaktura is located on 27 hectares of land and provides unlimited services and attractions. Apart from the shopping centre, hypermarkets and individual shops, there are restaurants, pubs, a disco club, a bowling alley, a climbing wall, Cinema City and many other attractions. In summer, there is a beach on the market square and in winter there is an ice rink. Exhibitions, concerts, performances, dance shows and sports competitions are organised here. It is worth visiting "The Experimentarium" and "Muzeum Fabryki" (The Factory Museum), which is one of the few Polish interactive museums bringing to life the history of Łódź textile industry. A branch of "Muzeum Sztuki" (The Museum of Art) is located here making it possible for visitors to see its impressive collections (the Modern Art Collection is regarded as the largest in this region of Europe).

Next to Manufaktura, there is the spectacular Poznański Palace, dubbed "the Łódź Louvre." In its plush interiors, one may enjoy the permanent and temporary exhibitions organised by "Muzeum Historii Miasta Łodzi" (The Museum of Łódź).

Another manufacturing empire which is worth seeing is the Księży Młyn district and the Karol Scheibler's industrial-residential complex. It is one of the most interesting locations of this type in the world. One must see here the spinning mill building (over 200 m long) with regularly located arched windows and octagonal towers. Its mightiness fully compensates for the lack of medieval castles in Łódź. Within the area marked by Fabryczna, Przędzalniana, Księży Młyn, Tymienieckiego and Milionowa Streets, Scheibler built an entire housing estate with rows of identical brick houses for workers, shops, a hospital, a fire station, utility buildings, a park with a pond and the entire palace complex for his son-in-law Edward Herbst (now the refurbished building hosts "Muzeum Sztuki" [The Museum of Art] whose main building is located at 36 Więckowskiego Street). This perfectly organized and self-sufficient housing estate, equipped even with a railway siding system, was a city within a city. Moreover, in the 1920s, the Scheibler's factory was merged with Ludwik Grohman's plant, creating the biggest textile industry company in Poland. It is said that the so-called "Grohman's barrels" at 46 Targowa Street, i.e. massive columns in the brick gate leading to the weaving mill, are as important for Łódź as the Leaning Tower is for Pisa.

While visiting the residences of Łódź manufacturers, one must not omit the Ludwik Geyer's "Biała Fabryka" (White Factory) located at 282 Piotrkowska Street. This is one of the oldest and at the time one of the most modern plants powered with the first steam machine in Łódź. This classical building is named after its white plasterwork which is quite extraordinary for a factory building. Inside, you may find a wooden structure comprising beams and posts which has been preserved until now. At night, the illuminated building is really picturesque, especially if you look at it from the Reymont's Park and the pond on the Jasień river. "Muzeum Włókiennictwa" (The Museum of Textile Industry) is located there and features, among others, original 19th century weaving, knitting and spinning machines and other more modern equipment.

The most peculiar Łódź "museum" is the so-called "tube", i.e. the old canal located under Plac Wolności (The Liberty Square). The perfectly preserved underground corridor (height 187 cm, width 150 cm) will soon attract visitors with its permanent art exhibition.

There is also an abundance of sacral buildings in Łódź, which highlights its multi-cultural history. You should not miss the Neo-Roman Lutheran St. Mathew church at 283 Piotrkowska Street and the nearby Neo-Gothic metropolitan church. In the city centre, near the Łódź Fabryczna Railway-Coach Station, there is a beautiful, recently renovated Orthodox church and several Jewish synagogues hidden in the tenement house yards. Paying a visit to the historical Jewish cemeteries in Łódź is also a must.

Łódź, which is competing for the title of the European Capital of Culture, for years has been attracting visitors with concerts, exhibitions and performances. There are a few dozen of private and municipal art galleries in the city. It is difficult to come here during a period when no festival is taking place. The most famous one is Plus Camerimage (December) attracting the world cinema celebrities ? actors, directors and cameramen. There are world-famous events such as the Festival of Dialogue of Four Cultures (September), Comic Books Festival (October), Mediaschool (October), Łódź Biennale (October), Aleksander Tansman music festival (Novemeber), Festival of the Solo Puppeteers (April), Łódź Ballet Meetings (May), Fotofestiwal (May), Graffiti Festival (June), Tapestry Triennale, and all-Poland events, e.g. International Festival of Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant, Film Music Festival, Christian Culture Festival, Łódź Theatre Meetings, Vena, Trotuart, Yapa, Mediatravel, Łódź Design and many other.

Finally, you can rest in the beautiful Botanical Garden, "Zdrowie" park, Łagiewniki forest, Arturówek resort or the modern "Fala" Aquapark. This facility, located on the area of 40 thousand square metres, offers several indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the World of Saunas, slides and jacuzzi.

After an eventful day, the only thing left to do is to get to Piotrkowska Street and plunge straight into the intensive nightlife.