Łódź Walk of Fame (Avenue of Stars)

Under the feet of people strolling along Piotrkowska Street lies an open-air gallery of Polish cinema. The Łódź Walk of Fame consists of more than 113 brass stars set into the pavement — from Andrzej Seweryn, who received the first in 1998, to Wajda, Kieślowski, Polański and Pola Negri. Łódź, home of the famous Film School and former film studios, has honoured filmmakers in the style of Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

History: from Machulski's idea

The idea came in 1996 from Jan Machulski, a director and teacher with strong ties to Łódź. The first star — for actor Andrzej Seweryn — was laid on 28 May 1998. The star was designed by graphic artist Andrzej Pągowski, author of hundreds of Polish film posters. New names are chosen by a committee of Łódź artists and cultural figures, including representatives of the Film School and the Museum of Cinematography; anyone can nominate a candidate. Since 4 June 2018 the walk has been run by the National Film Culture Centre as part of the Łódź UNESCO City of Film project, with special consideration for filmmakers connected to Łódź.

How to read the walk

The stars run along Piotrkowska between 6 Sierpnia and Traugutta streets and in the Rubinstein Passage. The odd-numbered (west) side holds the actors' stars, the even-numbered (east) side those of directors, cinematographers, set designers and composers. Those honoured include:

• actors: Zbigniew Cybulski, Krystyna Janda, Daniel Olbrychski, Beata Tyszkiewicz, Janusz Gajos, Pola Negri;
• directors: Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Roman Polański, Agnieszka Holland, Jerzy Skolimowski;
• composers and cinematographers: Wojciech Kilar, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Witold Sobociński, Paweł Edelman.

Did you know?

The list includes Arthur Rubinstein — a Łódź native and pianist rather than a filmmaker — and a shared star for the Warner brothers, founders of the Hollywood studio, whose family came from Polish lands. Collective honours have also gone to the Łódź Film School, the Educational Film Studio, the Polish Filmmakers Association and the makers of the Oscar-winning "Ida".

Tripto tips

The walk is part of the pavement, so it is free and open at all times. Allow 30–40 minutes to walk the whole stretch and stop at the names. If you are looking for particular stars, check the full list on the Łódź City of Film website beforehand. Photos are best taken in the morning, before Piotrkowska fills up with passers-by and café terraces. The walk combines easily with the Rubinstein Passage, OFF Piotrkowska and the Museum of Cinematography.