Łódź is the third most populated city in Poland, located in the centre of the country. Owing to its textile industry, it used to be the main industrial city in Poland. However, recently it has been turning into a cultural centre, mainly due to a big number of festivals, exhibitions, music events, concerts and other artistic projects.

Łódź is also a significant academic centre in Poland with more than 120,000 students. The city has over 25 schools of higher education, including large reputable institutions such as the University of Łódź, the Technical University of Łódź, Medical University of Łódź, or prestigious world-famous art schools like the Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts and Design, the Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz University of Music, or the Lodz Film School.

The unique (on a European scale) 19^th-century architecture of the city is now regaining its splendor. Many old factories and industrial facilities have been revitalized and converted into lofts, commercial, leisure or art centers. One of such places, which used to belong to Izrael Poznański, is now a shopping and cultural center called “Manufaktura”. It is one of the biggest centers of that kind in Europe and a favorite meeting place providing entertainment for tourists and city residents.

Recently modernized and extended the Władysław Reymont Airport in Łódź offers cheap flights to a number of European destinations. There is also a number of train and coach connections between Łódź and other Polish and European cities.