Museums, Palaces and Gardens on the Road to Łódź

The first destination of the day will be the small town of Żelazowa Wola, on the banks of the Utrata River, to visit the birthplace of Poland's most famous musician (and one of the most famous in the world) - Frédéric Chopin. Leave your car in this car park, opposite the park where the museum is located.

In front of the car park there is a beautiful park and in the park is the house where the musician was born. Part of the house is a museum that will give you an insight into his life during his early years. Furniture and some personal objects are preserved. Besides the museum, you can take a stroll through the beautiful park.
Open Hours Tuesday - Sunday. On Mondays the museum is closed, but not the park, so you can see the house from outside. Opens at 10am and closes at different times depending on the time of year. But it is always after 16:00. On the website you can see the closing times depending on the time of your trip and the cost of admission.

The next destination is a beautiful baroque palace from the 17th century. But before visiting this museum and its charming gardens, I recommend you have lunch. In front of the complex there are two places to choose from, depending on what you want to eat (and how much you want to spend).
In this restaurant you can try old Polish food, with an extensive menu ranging from soups to salads, fish and meat.
Open Hours Monday - Friday: 12:00 - 20:00 Saturday - Sunday: 12:00 - 22:00
The restaurant has parking.
Another option is to eat a quick meal, such as a hotdog, hamburger or a typical pierogi dish, at Zielony Grzybek (just a few metres from the previous one). If you are travelling with children, this place is better because it has playground equipment.
Open Hours Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00
There is a car park next to this restaurant where you can leave your car to tour the palace.

After lunch, you are ready to walk through the Arkadia gardens and the majestic palace. The Radziwill family bought the palace in 1774 and remodelled it in a stately and artistic style. The gardens were created by Helena, the wife of Duke Radziwill, in an English style with many Greek and Roman works of art. Many say that this garden is one of the most beautiful in Europe.
In the palace you can see how the furniture and decoration looked like between the 17th and 19th centuries. If you are travelling with children it is a good idea to make up stories as you go around.
For opening times (which change at different times of the year) and admission prices, please visit the official website.
The visit to the palace is not very long, but you can spend a good time walking around (and photographing its details) in the gardens.
Note There are two separate entrance fees, for the palace and for the Arkadia Gardens.

Before continuing your journey to the city of Lodz you can have a coffee in this very cosy place in the same complex. Open Hours Monday-Sunday: 9:00 - 18:00
There is usually a photo exhibition.

Welcome to Lodz! An industrial city (known as the textile capital of Europe) that was transformed into a city with a lot of art and culture. When we arrived, our friends told us that there wasn't much to do, but in the end we did a lot of things. And we loved it!
Look for a centrally located hotel with parking. Leave your stuff there and start getting to know the city.

After dropping everything off at the hotel and before finding a place for dinner, you can take a short walking tour. For example, you can go to Moniuszko Park where the city's Orthodox Christian Church, built at the end of the 19th century, with its typical architecture and colours, is located.
It closes at 6pm, so you might be lucky and be able to see it inside. To arrange a guided tour or for more information you can write to this email: [email protected]

Another activity that you can do while walking is to look for and observe some of the murals painted by local and international artists. In recent years, the walls of many of Lodz's older buildings have become canvases for urban artists.
One of the most striking is the one painted by the famous Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra. Many of them are located on Henryka Sienkiewicza Street and its sides. So, you can walk some minutes to find some of them. You will be surprised!

One of the activities that you can't miss on your first day in the city is to take a stroll along Piotrkowska Street, one of the most famous streets in the city, where all kinds of shops, including restaurants, are concentrated.
It is also a very picturesque street with many palaces and bourgeois houses in art nouveau style. Most of these houses and palaces belonged to textile entrepreneurs.
On this street you can also find sculptures that pay homage to famous personalities of the city, such as the pianist Arthur Rubinstein, and even a Hollywood-style walk of fame with stars on the ground.

After walking along the main street and admiring the architecture and details, you can go to OFF Piotrkowska to find a place to have dinner. OFF Piotrkowska is one of several old factory buildings that have been renovated to house bars, restaurants, artists and an ever-growing cultural scene in the city. You may also get lucky and coincide with a concert or other performance.
Here you will find several dining options (although you can also dine in one of the restaurants on the main street and finish the evening with a drink or a coffee in this complex). Places to dine include, for example:
Doki Gastrobar A place where everyone is welcome, with music, drinks, varied food and a great vibe. You can see its opening hours and offers at this link.
Ato Ramen An ideal place for Japanese food lovers. You can see its opening hours and offers at this link.
NÕŻ restaurant If you want to dine on Spanish food, this is the place for you. You can see its opening hours and offers at this link.
Most are open until 22.00 and on weekends until midnight.

Return to the hotel for a well-deserved rest and to recharge your batteries for the last day of the route.