Poland - Eastern Europe - page 407

ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE L ód 3 lies at the geographic center of modern Poland and is
well-served by roads, trains, and buses from around the country. Trains from Warsaw
arrive and depart from the central Fabryczna station, a 10-minute walk from the cen-
ter of town. Trains to other destination use Kaliska station (Ul. Unii Lubelskiej 3/5;
& 042/205-44-08 ). The main bus station (Pl. Salaci ^ skiego 1; & 042/631-97-06;
www.pks.lodz.pl) is situated just behind Fabryczna train station.
VISITOR INFORMATION The city of L ód 3 Tourist Information Center (Pio-
trkowska 87; & 042/638-59-55; www.cityoflodz.pl) is one-stop shopping for all
you'll ever need to know. Here you'll find two helpful pamphlets for negotiating the
city: L ód 3 Tourist Attractions and the L ód 3 City Guide, as well as the essential Jewish
Landmarks in L ód 3 . The latter includes a (long) self-guided walking tour of the L ód 3
(Litzmannstadt) ghetto. The staff maintains a complete list of hotels and can help
arrange transportation and restaurant reservations.
GETTING AROUND L ód 3 is a large city, with attractions clustered on both ends
of the pedestrian strip, Piotrkowska. To walk its length takes about 45 minutes at a
comfortable pace. You can also hire a pedicab driver, who will whisk you end to end
in about 10 minutes for 5 z l ($1.65/90p). Piotrkowski is perfect for cycling, but
rentals can be hard to find. Ask at the tourist information center. To reach the Jewish
Cemetery and the Radegast station, take tram no. 1 or no. 6 to the end, or hail a cab.
The taxi ride will cost about 12 z l ($4/£2.20).
WHERE TO STAY
The better places are all clustered around the center at Piotrkowska, but the area can
get noisy at night. Ask for a room away from the main street. Rates are generally high
for what's offered, but many hotels offer steep discounts on weekends.
Grand Hotel If you're coming from Wroc l aw and you've seen the Monopol, this
is L ód 3 's version: a faded turn-of-the-20th-century grande dame of a hotel that has
fallen into benign neglect under the management of the former state-owned Orbis
hotel chain. If you love those period Art Nouveau details, wide sweeping corridors,
and generously sized rooms with high ceilings—and don't mind antiquated plumbing,
indifferent service, and an inedible breakfast—then this is your place. The location is
right at the heart of the pedestrian zone.
Piotrkowska 72. & 042/633-99-20. Fax [phone]. www.orbis.pl. 161 units. 360 zl ($120/£65) double. AE, DC,
MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; limited room service; nonsmoking rooms. In room:TV, dataport, minibar, hair dryer.
Hotel Savoy This likably run-down turn-of-the-20th-century hotel is just
down the street from the similar, but more expensive Grand Hotel. The Savoy feels
smaller than the Grand and more intimate, though it's plainer. Many of the older
period elements have been stripped away through wars and countless, often thought-
less, renovations. Ask to see several rooms, since they all differ slightly in furnishings.
Some are jewels of the schlock 1960s and 1970s, while others try to re-create a 1920s
feel. Choose your mood. Ask for a room away from the deceptively quiet-looking
courtyard. At 6am, it becomes a veritable beehive of heavy construction work.
Traugutta 6. & 042/632-93-60. Fax [phone] units. 250 zl ($83/£45) double. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities:
Restaurant; limited room service; nonsmoking rooms. In room:Some A/C, TV, hair dryer.