Aleja Gwiazd (Avenue of Stars) brings to mind a pathway marked by golden stars bearing the names of famous actors, creators, directors and more. Łódź can boast of having created its own version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

Location of Aleja Gwiazd

Aleja Gwiazd of Łódź's Road of Fame extends between the streets of 6 Sierpnia (August 6th) and gen. Romualda Traugutta, and Artur Rubinstein Passage, with the entire installation situated on the renowned Piotrkowska street. The originator of this project was Jan Machulski. Among this famous Aleja Gwiazd are the names of well-known film celebrities. The odd-numbered side of the Avenue features stars bearing the names of actors. On the even-numbered side, one can find stars dedicated to directors and cinematographers.

An Idea by Machulski

Although Jan Machulski's idea was born in 1996, it was only on May 28, 1998 that the first brass star was laid, featuring the name of Andrzej Seweryn. Behind the project of stars that adorn Piotrkowska street stands Andrzej Pągowski.

Among the names of actors who have received their brass stars in Łódź are such celebrities as Janusz Gajos, Krystyna Janda, Marek Kondrat, Jan Machulski, Pola Negri, Daniel Olbrychski, Cezary Pazura and Franciszek Pieczka. Among those who typically work behind the camera, the previously mentioned cinematographers and directors include Stanisław Bareja, Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Zanussi, Roman Polański, Jerzy Hoffman and Agnieszka Holland.

Aleja Gwiazd na Piotrkowskiej, czyli Walk of Fame po łódzku

Łódź's Calling Card

Aleja Gwiazd, from the moment the first brass star was embedded until today, has been Łódź's calling card and an interesting tourist attraction. Its concept and subsequent creation is not entirely coincidental, as Łódź was once the capital of Polish cinema, where many celebrities visited, and many of today's well-known actors, directors, cinematographers and set designers graduated from the Łódź film school.

Although the creation of Aleja Gwiazd and its final location was marked by occasional disputes, 1998 finally brought an official opening, which also became part of celebrations marking the 575th anniversary of Łódź receiving city rights. This is yet another important date—the 50th anniversary of the National Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre.

The decision of who will appear on the stars is made by the Aleja Gwiazd Council. And although today Łódź is not as closely associated with film as it once was, Aleja Gwiazd remains a reminder on which one can currently admire over 60 brass stars bearing the names of film celebrities.