August 2026
A mini-ethnographic expedition through Poland. Not a single zapiekanka was harmed; weight gain: 2 kg
Kraków > Łódź > Poznan > Wroclaw
The funniest thing about the city is that it’s actually called "Wooch", not "Lotz"
There are several train stations in the city; we arrived at “Kaliska,” and according to the maps, it’s a 20-minute walk to the hotel
“Walking” turned out to be the challenge of the day
This is insane—I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. You have to cross four lanes, then eight, just to get to the park. Pedestrians have to wait at least three minutes each time, no less. It’s hard to imagine what’s going on here and why the local mayor is such an asshole
After a 20-minute walk, you have to cross another expressway with no traffic lights
And here we are—the city is about to begin
After Kraków, it’s hard to tell where all the people are
Local crosswalks are a work of art
DOMUS
CENTRUS
CROSSWALKUS
And then, out of nowhere, a normal city begins
It feels like a left-wing mayor was in charge of the city center
Suddenly, there are people here
Cyclists
Hipsters
Little cafes
And overall, it’s just beautiful
The city center is, in short, top-notch by Polish standards
Walking around is a real pleasure
Only in Poland do you find such detailed parking instructions
There are actually very few cars in the center (but this is just one street)
This is where all the action is, really
Street signs
Narutovich
We decided to check out the new train station
Cool, dark, trendy
They’re filming a movie
Bus stop
Tram stop (public transportation, by the way, is available and running)
The condition of the buildings is debatable. Prices are still low, so if you believe in the city’s potential, now’s the time to buy
The tram has a mean face
By the way, there are a lot of cyclists all over Poland, and especially here because the city is so spread out. I did come across a couple of redneck idiots, of course, racing down the sidewalk. And note that more than half of the “cyclists” have nothing to do with actual bicycles—the vast majority are fucking couriers on rockets
You can call the bin
There are both old panelki
And new ones
This is, of course, a total mess by 2026 standards
But the city center is absolutely top-notch
And it’s completely baffling how one city can have two such different cities in it
In terms of vibe, the city center (where people hang out) is better than other Polish cities
The library even has a trendy shelf
Homes are a good investment
The kebab stands are joking around
Competitors don’t argue
Victor provides services
Spanish becomes Eastern
Graffiti is being painted
The milk bar feeds
God is great
Piotr is just as good as Victor
But outside the city center, it’s fucking hell
Łódź has taken the most controversial spot in my heart. I really, really liked the vibe of the city center. Outside the center, the city isn’t livable. It’s quite possible this is a political issue—I’ll have to come back in ten years to check it out.