What to do in Łódź in autumn

Autumn in Łódź has its own rhythm: it opens with a burst of light, then turns the parks and forests into a gold and red panorama, and once the weather turns cold and grey, it moves indoors to museums, cinemas and regional thermal baths. Here are eleven tried and tested ideas for September, October and November in Łódź and the Łódź region.

Start with the light: Light.Move.Festival

Autumn in Łódź begins in style: towards the end of September the city centre turns into an open-air gallery during Light.Move.Festival, the largest light festival in Poland. Large-format projections, 3D mapping and light installations appear on Piotrkowska Street, in Park Staromiejski and Park Sienkiewicza, and walking the whole route comfortably takes two to three hours. It is a good idea for a family evening, since access to the route is free, and it is best to set off just after dusk, before the crowds arrive.

Golden autumn in Las Łagiewnicki

The largest municipal forest in Poland, Las Łagiewnicki on Łagiewnicka Street, turns yellow and orange in autumn and draws both walkers and mushroom pickers, as the undergrowth of this oak and pine forest is home to boletes, slippery jacks and porcini. For families with children, the area around Arturówek is a good starting point, while those after longer routes will find marked trails deeper in the reserve. It is worth coming on a weekday morning, when the forest is quietest and the morning mist between the trees is at its best.

Park Źródliska and Park Sienkiewicza: autumn colour in the city centre

Anyone without time for a trip to the forest can find autumn colour just a few minutes from Piotrkowska Street. Park Źródliska on Piłsudskiego Street 61 is Łódź's oldest park, with avenues of old trees and a pond, while the neighbouring Park Sienkiewicza on Kilińskiego Street 101 is worth a walk especially in the afternoon, when the low sun lights up the maple canopies. It is a good spot for a short walk between meetings or for coffee on a bench, before it gets too cold to sit outside.

Łódź Botanical Garden: heather and Japanese maples

The Łódź Botanical Garden on Krzemieniecka Street 36/38 is one of the largest botanical gardens in Poland, with a separate heather section that turns purple and pink in autumn, and an avenue of Japanese maples that are among the first to turn red. The garden has several entrances and large grounds, so it is worth setting aside at least an hour for the walk, and it is best to pick up a map of the paths at the main entrance so as not to miss the heather section. It also makes a good cycling destination, since a path runs from here along Las Łagiewnicki, making it easy to combine both spots into a single route.

Palmiarnia: warmth on a rainy day

When autumn weather does not encourage a walk, the Palmiarnia palm house on Piłsudskiego Street 61, right next to Park Źródliska, comes to the rescue. Under its glass roof grow several hundred species of tropical and Mediterranean plants, and inside it is always warm and humid, whatever the weather outside. It is a good choice for a rainy Saturday afternoon with children, or simply for warming up between other stops on an autumn walk through this part of the city.

Museum of the City of Łódź: palace interiors for the shorter days

As the days get shorter, it is worth moving sightseeing indoors. The Museum of the City of Łódź in the Poznański Palace on Ogrodowa Street 15 shows how the wealthiest Łódź factory owners once lived, with gilded salons, a historic staircase and exhibitions on the history of this textile city. It suits anyone who would rather explore the history of Łódź in autumn than spend time outdoors, and the palace pairs well with a walk through the nearby Park Staromiejski. It is worth setting aside two to three hours for the visit, since besides the grand reception rooms the palace also has a wing devoted to the everyday life of Łódź's textile workers.

Kino Charlie: intimate screenings for autumn evenings

Autumn is cinema season: longer evenings make going to the cinema more appealing than staying in front of the television. Kino Charlie on Piotrkowska Street 203/205 is a small studio cinema showing European and independent films in an atmospheric, intimate auditorium. It is a good option for an evening for two or a get-together with friends after work, and since the cinema sits right on the city's main avenue, it is easy to combine with dinner at one of the nearby restaurants.

All Saints' Day at the Old Cemetery

In early November it is worth taking a walk through the Old Cemetery on Odolanowska Street 17, one of the largest necropolises in Europe, where Łódź factory owners of different faiths, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Orthodox, lie side by side. It is worth picking up the cemetery map available at the main gate and setting aside at least an hour to reach the tombs of the Poznański and Scheibler families. This suits anyone interested in the history of industrial Łódź, and is best enjoyed on a quiet weekday morning.

Arboretum SGGW in Rogów: Japanese autumn 35 km from Łódź

Anyone wanting to see autumn at its fullest should head to Rogów, about 35 km south-east of Łódź, under half an hour's drive. The Arboretum SGGW on Leśna Street 5b is famous for its avenue of Japanese maples, which turn red and orange in autumn, carpeting the paths with fallen leaves. It is a destination for photographers and anyone after a quiet walk among several thousand species of trees and shrubs, at its best on a sunny day in the second half of October.

Thermal baths in Uniejów and Poddębice: warm water for cold days

When the weather outside turns cold and grey, a weekend trip to the thermal baths is a good idea. Termy Uniejów on Zamkowa Street 3/5, about 55 km from Łódź, and the closer Termy Poddębice on Adama Mickiewicza Street 19, roughly 45 km from the city, draw on the same geothermal basin and offer outdoor pools where you can bathe even when it is cold outside. It is a good destination for a day trip for couples and families, especially on a rainy autumn weekend, when other attractions in the region lose their appeal. Both complexes have outdoor pools open all year round, and bathing in the open air with steam rising off the water is one of those experiences that suits autumn best.

Romantic Park in Arkadia: sentimental autumn 70 km from Łódź

The furthest of the suggested trips leads to the Romantic Park in Arkadia near Łowicz, about 70 km from Łódź, just over an hour's drive. Founded in the eighteenth century by Princess Helena Radziwiłł, the park with its Temple of Diana and artificial ruins looks exactly as a romantic park should in autumn, when mist rises over the ponds. It makes a good full-day trip that can be combined with a visit to the nearby palace in Nieborów, and is best enjoyed on a quiet, misty morning.