To understand exactly what Łódź is all about, a visit to the largest textile museum in Europe is a good place to start. The two floors of exhibition rooms containing a mind-boggling array of steam-driven looms, fabric-printing machines, contrasting recreations of how the workers and their factory-owning bosses lived and worked, original paintings of Łódź in its 19th-century heyday, lace, rugs and other paraphernalia connected to the textile industry speak volumes about the city that’s often referred to as the Manchester of Poland.
The icing on the cake: the museum is housed inside Ludwig Geyer’s mammoth 19th-century White Factory (Biała Fabryka), an extraordinary building worthy of a journey in itself.
Exhibits have descriptions in Polish and English, whilst guided tours in English are possible upon prior arrangement. Visiting time for permanent exhibitions: 2-3 hours // Temporary exhibitions: 30-60mins
