What is the meaning of Holly Lódz? What were the products of the factories? Where do you find the most intriguing murals? Tourists will find the answers to these and several other issues in this fascinatingly charismatic city in Poland's heartland.

Both Polish roads appear to connect to Lódz – after all, the city sits at the crossroads of two large highways, the A1 and A2. The city is now in its second youth, full of parallels, immersed in greenery, and featuring amazing avant-garde installations. Despite the fact that King Ladislaus Jagieon granted the town its town charter in 1423, the town did not undergo rapid growth until just 200 years ago. As portrayed in Andrzej Wajda's popular film The Promised Land, Lódz developed to become Europe's largest textile manufacturing hub as a result of tremendous investment and extraordinary hard work by Jews, Germans, Russians, and Poles. A few hundred factory owners designed luxurious palaces alongside their manufacturing houses, which can still be seen today. Izrael Poznaski's insanely opulent residence, which is located next to his old textile plant, which has been reborn as the Manufaktura complex, is the most notable of them.

Manufaktura is a popular hangout for both locals and tourists. An epic redevelopment scheme of former industrial textile factories has brought this show-stopping red-brick, multi-story shopping center and leisure center to life. A scaling wall, bowling alley, urban beach with deckchairs, and a zip line providing a bird's-eye view of Manufaktura for courageous tourists round out the enviable array of attractions. The glass-enclosed swimming pool in the loft-style Andel's hotel also has a spectacular view. This is not for the faint of heart; the pool is located on the hotel's rooftop, 25 meters above ground, where a cast-iron firefighting water tank once stood in Poznaski's factory's old spinning mill.

Piotrkowska Street is also famous, as it is Poland's longest promenade, lined with boutiques, bars, pubs, and statues of well-known Polish musicians, the most impressive of which depicts Artur Rubinstein playing the piano. This is an unavoidable photo chance that you would not be able to pass up! The Hokus Pokus Festival of Street Art and Magic, the Light Move Festival, the Songwriter Festival, and the Lódz of Four Cultures Festival, to name a few, all take place on Piotrkowska Street, which is vibrant by day and bustling by night, no matter what time of year you visit. Keep an eye out for Lódz's own walk of fame, the Avenue of Stars.

The typical sights are worth seeing, but don't forget to try out the city's underground scene as well; Lódz is considered as more of a hipster Mecca! Off Piotrkowska and Piotrkowska 217 are two places to visit. If you’re partial to a good monument, Łódź doesn’t disappoint: check out the Citizens at the Turn of the Millennium, Citizens of the New Millennium, and Identity monuments.

Of course, no discussion of Lódz will be complete without discussing the film industry. Roman Polaski, Andrzej Wajda, and Krzysztof Kielowski are all graduates of the renowned Lódz Film Academy. Plaques with their names have been placed on the stairwell where the future artists used to sit.

About 200 films, both national and foreign, have been filmed in the city's backstreets, and the city is proud to host the prestigious Drama School Festival.

Tomek Baginski's Cathedral, as well as his Animated History of Poland, which promoted Poland at the World Expo, were produced at the Se-Ma-For workshop, which has won two Academy Awards and specializes in animated cartoons for children (e.g. Peter and the Wolf). The Film Museum showcases ód's film tradition (which is currently closed under renovation until the end of 2020). There is also a dedicated film trail for die-hard supporters.

Before you go to Radegast Station, make sure you're ready. It's a historically significant venue, but it's still emotionally draining. The Tunnel of Memory, a sombre location overflowing with images of Holocaust victims, is entered from a fractured column that resembles a crematorium chimney. This is the most disturbing and heartbreaking aspect of Radegast Station, where 145,000 people, mostly Jews, went through on their way to concentration camps and met their death. A model of Litzmannstadt Getto – the Lódz Ghetto – is located in a wooden station building with a row of matzevahs(tombstones) in the background. Sadly, only a small percentage of the over 200,000 Jews trapped there remained. The Survivors' Park features the Monument to Poles Who Saved Jews as well as over 600 “trees of memory” planted by survivors. Other memorials include Poland's largest Jewish cemetery, the Children's Martyrdom Monument, and the Romani Forge, which is built on the site where the Germans built a settlement for Roma and Sinti citizens.

Lódz is home to Poland's most modern planetarium and a fascinating Science and Technology Centre, all of which are located in the remarkable EC1 complex, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Willy Wonka's famed chocolate factory! The ultra-modern complex, which includes the National Centre for Film Culture and the Centre for Cartoons and Interactive Narration, is set to open in 2020 and will house the exhibits of the National Centre for Film Culture and the Centre for Cartoons and Interactive Narration.

Lódz and street art are inextricably linked. So much so that the Lódz Tourism Organization has created a guide specifically for locating items of street art. About 150 murals, statues, and art installations made of metal bars, car pieces, mirrors, and even moss can be found in the area. The map is an excellent guide, encouraging tourists to see several large-scale works of art on building walls created by street artists from Poland (Proembrion, M-City, Etam) and other countries (Osgemeos, Eduardo Kobra, Inti, Aryz, Remed). These murals have been created over the years, including at the Urban Forms Gallery Festival and the International Graffiti Festival before that. Save enough camera battery for the biggest wow factor of all: the first 3D mural in Poland, and one of only three in the country, by Italian artist Awer, which can be seen in all its multicolor glory on the wall of the building at 93 Pomorska St.

Glampers can never forget a night in a bubble – a light bulb-shaped see-through tent in the Lódz Hills Landscape Park, where they will enjoy uninterrupted stargazing while being surrounded by nature's sounds. Fans of vintage sightseeing will also take a seat on the Tourist Tram Line's historical tram. These charming antique relics practically beg you to photograph them. Can you love a strong adrenaline rush? Try the year-round toboggan run on Rudzka Hill – it'll surely have the blood pumping!

Lódz was designated UNESCO City of Film in 2017 and was inducted into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Lódz was named the 2nd Best Value Destination for 2019 by Lonely Planet.

Warszawa (Warsaw):

It is the capital of Poland with an estimated population of 1.7 million people. The majority of Polish people migrate to the city for business and education. This is due to the higher education institutions with a vibrant spirit, and it is an important center for culture and sciences. 

After the city was destroyed entirely by World War II, it gained steady progress with years of communism. This helped the city recover in terms of its architecture and commercial structure, both of which are signified by the Palace of Science and Culture and the skyscrapers. 

Kraków (Cracow):

The city has stunning architecture and fine works of art which is a major tourist attraction. It was the ruling place of the royal family and the capital of Poland until 1596. 

As the first university of Poland, the Jagiellonian University, founded in 1364, is located in Kraków and is regarded as the cradle of Polish science. Kraków has more than 730,000 residents, and it is an important cultural and academic center. 

Wrocław:

It is the fourth largest city in Poland and the capital of Lower Silesia (Dolny Śląsk). There is a beautiful Old Town with a unique atmosphere that describes its history and location. It spreads across several islands and is surrounded by the Oder River and its tributaries on all sides. 

Gdańsk:

It is a major seaport in Poland and forms the Tricity Metropolis with Sopot and Gdynia along with a population of 750,000 people. Gdansk was an important Hanseatic city, owned by Poland and Germany alternately. This where World War II and the Polish Solidarity Movement began. 

Poznań:

It is among the oldest and largest Polish cities, and due to its Paris-Moscow route, Poznań is an important transport and trade center. Poznań has been the venue for the International Trade Fair since 1925. It also has a good number of universities and research institutes that contribute to its development. 

Łódź:

Łódź is an important city in Poland, and it was the textile-manufacturing hub. It has a Central Museum of Textiles with 19th-century machinery, fabrics, and handicrafts that were once a prominent part of the city’s trade and commerce. The Manufaktura complex, which was once a factory, was restored into a lively arts and culture center. 

Poland has numerous cities and universities that can make your time there worthwhile. Moreover, the value of a degree acquired from any university in this country is far greater than in other European regions.