Churches & Monasteries
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a wooden church from the late 18th century, moved to its current site at the end of the 19th century
Churches & Monasteries
Open
Łódź's oldest parish, its neo-Gothic interior holds a Gothic triptych in the main altar
Churches & Monasteries
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a three-nave basilica in Radogoszcz, its cornerstone blessed by John Paul II, upper church open since 2012
Churches & Monasteries
a church built from 1927, destroyed by the Germans in 1942, rebuilt with an added tower in 1999-2000
Churches & Monasteries
Łódź's only Polish Catholic parish, in a 1925 brick church originally built for a Baptist community
Bałuty-Centrum is a neighbourhood with one of Łódź's oldest parishes and several churches of quite different origins - from a neo-Gothic parish church, through a wooden temple moved here from another location, to a church that the Germans demolished during the war and which was rebuilt only years later. We have gathered five churches in Bałuty-Centrum worth knowing when planning a walk through this part of Łódź.
The Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny (Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) on Kościelna Street is Łódź's oldest parish - its neo-Gothic interior hides a Gothic triptych in the main altar, which is itself a rarity in a city that only grew large in the 19th century. A few streets further, on Ogrodowa Street, stands the Kościół św. Józefa (Church of St Joseph) - a wooden temple from the second half of the 18th century, moved to its current location at the end of the 19th century, which makes it one of the few wooden sacred buildings in this part of the city.
The Kościół pw. Świętego Antoniego z Padwy (Church of St Anthony of Padua) was under construction from 1927, the Germans demolished it in 1942, and its reconstruction, with an added tower, was completed only in 1999-2000 - the history of this temple shows how wartime destruction shaped the landscape of Bałuty. A different story belongs to the Parafia Świętej Rodziny (Parish of the Holy Family) on Limanowskiego Street - it is the only Polish Catholic parish in Łódź, housed in a brick church from 1925 originally built for Baptists.
The Parafia Najświętszej Maryi Panny Łaskawej (Parish of Our Lady of Grace) is a three-nave basilica in Radogoszcz on Goplańska Street. The cornerstone for its construction was blessed by John Paul II, and the upper church has only been in use since 2012 - it is the youngest of the temples in this list and at the same time one of the more impressive ones.
Kościół Wniebowzięcia NMP and Kościół św. Józefa lie close to each other in the Ogrodowa and Kościelna area, so it is good to start there. Parafia Świętego Antoniego and Świętej Rodziny already require a longer walk or a ride by public transport, and Parafia Najświętszej Maryi Panny Łaskawej in Radogoszcz lies furthest from the centre and is worth planning as a separate stop on the route. Entry to all five temples is free, and outside service hours access can be limited.
Which church in Bałuty-Centrum is the oldest? The parish at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the oldest parish in the whole of Łódź.
Is entry to these churches paid? No, visiting the temples is free, though outside masses access can be limited by hours.
Is it worth combining a visit to the churches with other attractions of Bałuty-Centrum? Yes, the same area also has museums and libraries described on the pages muzeów Bałut-Centrum (museums of Bałuty-Centrum) and kultury na Bałutach-Centrum (culture in Bałuty-Centrum).
Where can you find churches in other parts of Łódź? The full list of temples across the city and region is shown on the page kościołów i klasztorów (churches and monasteries), and all attractions of Łódź - on the page atrakcji miasta (city attractions).
