Warsaw to Lodz and Torun: Private day trip

The first written records of Lodz date back to around 1332, however, it remained a relatively small settlement until the 19th century when it rapidly expanded following an influx of German and Jewish immigrants. By the 20th century, Łódź had grown to be one of Poland’s largest cities, and one of Europe’s multicultural and industrial centers, which is reflected by the city’s architecture, where luxurious mansions coexist with redbrick factories and old tenement houses. Łódź’ most trying time came during the Nazi occupation, when its Jewish population was interned in Europe’s second largest ghetto. Today, a memorial for the victims stands at the Radegast railway station, and the Park of Survivors, where the handful of survivors planted trees to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the annihilation of the Jewish community.

With its picture-perfect setting on the Vistula River and much of the medieval city walls still remaining, Torun is one of those towns that visitors just love to wander around. The old town is chock-full of exquisite medieval buildings, statues, restaurants, café bars as well as the charming town hall, which along with the everyday hustle and bustle, simply oozes atmosphere. Take a walk around the cobblestone streets and immerse yourself in the charm of this medieval market town. Besides the incredible architecture and buildings, Torun can also boast that it is the birthplace of Copernicus (the astronomer who placed the sun, rather than the earth, at the center of the universe) who has his own statue in the town and a university named in his honor. The town is also famous throughout Poland for its gingerbread, made there since the thirteenth-century and a treat every visitor should try.