Street Art in Lodz & Where to Find the Best Murals

The Polish city of Lodz first came on my radar after reading an interview with film Director, David Lynch. Captivated by the city, he went on to use it as a filming location for Inland Empire (2006).

The more I read about the city, the more I wanted to visit. Aside from fulfilling my Lynchian desires, I was also keen to search for street art in Lodz. I had spotted some incredible murals online, bursting with colour and creativity, and I wanted to see them in person.

Street Art in Lodz (Łódź)

Before heading to Lodz, I did a little research and found a group on facebook called Street Art in Łódź, and was astounded by the amount of street art that was being posted and shared in the group. Not only that, but most photos in the group also detailed the location of each work to make finding them easier. Yey!

In addition to this, I stumbled across the Urban Forms website, and was amazed to find a comprehensive map of the city that pinpointed out a significant amount of street art. So, with a little help already in hand, my plan was to explore Lodz through its street art.

With the map provided by Urban Forms, I followed the location of each one, and soon realised it was the perfect way to explore the city. I walked down residential flats that I wouldn’t have ventured down, and got to see a more local side of Lodz. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Manufaktura and wandering Piotrkowska street, but there’s a lot more to the city than these places.

There’s a lot of street art in lodz, and I don’t just mean the odd slapdash piece of graffiti. I mean incredible murals that stretch across whole buildings. The street art has turned the city into a sort of outdoor public gallery. It’s a big part of the urban development plan underway in Lodz.

The best wall murals in Lodz

Below you will find some of my favourite wall murals. Please note, as is the nature of street art, sometimes murals stay up for a while, and sometimes they are gone the next day. 

Therefore, please do keep in mind that several of these murals may have disappeared, or been painted over. If this turns out to be the case, I hope they have been replaced by other wall murals for you to enjoy.

Created by: Kobra

One of the most recognisable murals you will find in Lodz is located on Sienkiewicza and Traugutta streets. It’s a rather cheeky depiction of the famous pianist.

It was completed by Kobra who is one of the world’s most famous street artists. I was lucky enough to see his largest mural ‘Ethnicities‘ in Rio de Janeiro. It’s also one of the largest murals in the world. Absolutely incredible.

Created by: Hygienic Dress League

This colourful bird by Detroit based street artists, HDL,  can be found tucked away on Miedziana Street nearby the Museum of Cinematography.

Created by: Sainer

It’s difficult to miss this huge mural that fills the length of a five-storey block of flats. 

Created by Sainer, a street artist who hails from Warsaw. I love how this particular wall mural transforms a rather mundane looking apartment block into something bright and eye-catching.

This photo gives you some perspective of how close you can find murals together.

Created by: Aryz

This beautiful mural titled ‘Love Letters’ can be found at 67 Pomorska street. 

Łódź: A muse to creativity?

As I’ve said before, Łódź isn’t a stereotypically pretty city. It doesn’t seem too bothered about trying to be either. And I think, in a way, this is why Łódź has become an unlikely muse for creative types.

There’s a certain allowance for free expression that comes in a place that doesn’t concern itself with keeping up appearances in the typical way. Instead it puts street art on residential blocks of flats, or a quiet street to brighten up the local scenery.

The brilliant thing about street art is that it’s a low cost, high impact way to transform a city. Tax payers won’t be grumbling about their money being spent on something that they won’t get a chance to enjoy for themselves. And speaking of communal enjoyment – that’s exactly the essence of street art. It creates conversation and debate, and at the very least it brings visual stimulation – whether you like the look of it or not.

“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they’re having a piss.”

~ Banksy

Related → Is Lodz the Place to Be for Creative People?

Here are a few more murals

You can find this one on Jaracza street.

I’m not sure what it is, any ideas? I think it looks like a snake made out of toilet paper lol.

I found this one somewhere along Traugutta street… but I didn’t make a note of the exact location. Either way, I’m sure you’ll find more street art if you don’t manage to spot this one. That’s the great thing about exploring Łódź – each street holds something different.

Apparently this mural depicts famous Polish people, but in reality, there is supposedly very little resemblance. I’m not sure whether that was intentional or not – I hope so!

The largest street art in Łódź!

One of the smaller ones I came across, I chanced upon this on Przemyslowa street whilst walking to the Jewish Cemetery. It just goes to show that every corner seems to reveal a new surprise.

I spotted this one in a car park, but forgot to note the location. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find a lot more if you visit Lodz for yourself.

Where to stay in Łódź

There are plenty of places to stay in Łódź but each time I stay at Hotel Grand purely because scenes from Lynch’s Inland Empire were shot inside. The hotel is located on Piotrkowska street so you can’t beat it for location.

It’s impressive to think it opened its doors to the public in 1888 and has been running ever since. It’s also recently undergone a large-scale renovation so I imagine it’s pretty swanky now.

Further information

Visiting Łódź and need more inspiration on things to see and do? See this post for more suggestions.

What city is your favourite for street art?