POLAND Poland is one of the bigger countries in Europe. The capital city of Poland is Warsaw. Since 2004 it has been the member of the European Union. The country is situated in central Europe and can offer a whole range of attractions.

In the north it has the access to the Baltic Sea. The north east of Poland is the region of beautiful lakes and forests. In the south there are mountain ranges such as Tatra Mountains, Bieszczady, Beskidy and many more. Poland has also a rich history. Despite the vast destruction the country experienced in World War II, Poland managed to preserve much of its cultural wealth. The largest city in Poland is Warsaw with a number of sights e.g. the Royal Castle, Łazienki Palace or the Old Town.

Cracow is the second biggest city in Poland and a very popular tourist destination. Foreigners come to see Wawel Castle, Rynek Główny, the largest medieval town square in Europe, or Kazimierz, the Jewish district.

Other cities worth visiting include Toruń, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk and Łódź.

ŁÓDŹ

We live in the heart of Poland, Łódź. It is the third biggest city in Poland. The city's coat of arms depicts a boat, it refers to the city's name which translates as "boat". Our city has industrial history, that is why most of our sights are connected with industry, factories and manufacturers.

Ludwik Gayer's factory is one of the oldest buildings in Łódź. It was built in the classical style in the 1830s. It was plastered and then painted white and that is why it is called "White Factory".

During World War II Łódź was under Nazi occupation. In February 1940, Germans established ghetto here. Within the area of about 4 km2 they closed around 160 thousand people of Jewish origin. Litzmannstadt ghetto was a huge labor camp which produced clothing, shoes, equipment needed in the Third Reich. Jews were sent to Łódź from: Austria, Czech Republic, Luxembourg and Germany. The Jews of Łódź (about 200 thousand) were deported to the extermination camp at Chelmno on Ner, and to Auschwitz. Those who died from hunger and exhaustion were buried in the cemetery at Bracka Street.The wooden station building, Radegast station, is preserved until now.

Piotrkowska Street is the most famous attraction in Łódź stretching north to south for a little over five kilometres, making it (one of) the longest commercial streets in the world. A few of the building fronts have been renovated and date back to the 19th century.

Nowadays, the industrial architecture of Łódź undergoes revitalization. The largest 19th Century textile factory complex which was built by Izrael Poznanski has been turned into a shopping centre called "Manufaktura" which is an example of a modern business which operates in restored nineteenth century buildings.

Although Łódź does not have any hills nor any large body of water, one can still get close to nature in one of the city's many parks, most notably Łagiewniki (the largest city park in Europe).