Sielanka Park in Łódź – a forgotten garden of villas, ponds and old Łódź

There are places in Łódź where the name seems to tell you something about the place before you even know its history.

Sielanka is one of them.

Sielanka Park in Łódź

 The word itself suggests somewhere peaceful, almost idyllic. And when you walk through Sielanka Park today, it is easy to understand why the name has survived.

It is a small park, tucked away between Pabianicka Street, Cieszkowskiego Street and Jana Pawła II Avenue. There are trees, two ponds, paths, a playground and plenty of everyday city life around it.

Nothing here feels grand.

But once you start looking into its past, the park becomes much more interesting.

Because this was once a place where people came to relax, spend time outdoors, listen to music, go fishing and enjoy the greenery away from the noise of the growing industrial city.

And nearby stood the villas of one of Łódź's industrial families.

A garden called Sielanka