Discover Łowicz: Old Town, Architecture and Folklore

Łowicz brings together a distinctive Old Town heritage, striking buildings and vibrant Księżacy folklore. If you are looking for a hotel in Łowicz, these different themes can help you plan your stay: squares showcase historic urban layouts, the town hall and churches add architectural highlights, and the Corpus Christi procession offers a cultural event. The following highlights show which aspects of the city’s history and culture you can focus on.

Old Town squares and their history

Stary Rynek is the heart of Łowicz’s Old Town. Its sights include Brama Prymasowska, built in the mid-17th century, and the Renaissance townhouse of the Cebrowski family, with cloisters leading to the courtyard. The square is also home to the 1927 monument to the Sons of the Łowicz Region and the monument to Pope John Paul II, unveiled in 2000. The square thus brings together buildings and memorials from different periods. Stary Rynek combines a historic gate, a Renaissance building and two monuments whose dates of creation are explicitly given.

Nowy Rynek offers a different perspective: it is shaped like an equilateral triangle, and its buildings include townhouses dating from the 17th century. Comparing it with Stary Rynek draws attention to the square’s layout, not just to individual façades. The city’s major buildings also offer different architectural points of reference. Łowicz Town Hall is considered one of the most remarkable examples of Neoclassical architecture in Poland. The Piarist Church, in turn, is a Baroque church with a monumental façade. The Renaissance townhouse, Neoclassical town hall and Baroque church thus represent distinct architectural styles. Łowicz cannot be reduced to a single period: both its squares and individual buildings shape its heritage.

An ensemble, a view and folklore

The romantic General Klicki ensemble in Łowicz was built in the early 19th century to a design by K. Krauze. It comprises a defensive tower, a palace, a chapel and a gatehouse. Here, the focus is on several elements and how they fit together, while the town hall and the Piarist Church each represent a single building.

The north tower of the Cathedral Basilica houses a viewing terrace overlooking the city and its surroundings. Check the current visitor arrangements before your visit. The Corpus Christi procession offers another way to experience local culture, with local cultural practitioners and folk ensembles taking part. This colourful procession is considered a particularly well-known example of vibrant Księżacy folklore. As the event takes place on Corpus Christi, check the event dates if the procession is important to your trip.

Culture in the wider destination of Łowicz

In the wider destination of Łowicz, Muzeum w Łowiczu offers a broader perspective on the city and region. Its permanent exhibitions include the history of the city and region, as well as the ethnography of the Duchy of Łowicz. A permanent exhibition of Polish Baroque art is housed in the former Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo. Next to the museum is a small open-air museum with two rural farmsteads and a coach house. Folk art also shapes this wider setting: Łowicz and the region are known for colourful striped costumes and paper cut-outs. The cultural offerings in this wider destination thus include exhibitions on history and art, as well as examples of rural architecture and folk art.

Discover more destinations: Nieborów, Brzozów.

Return to the wider travel overview: Łowicz.