Księży Młyn in Łódź is a city-within-a-city, founded by the Scheibler and Groham families, who partnered in 1921 to co-run the largest cotton mill in Europe. The industrial village once comprised production facilities, shops, its own fire department, an internal hospital and school, a railway station, residential quarters for the mill workers, and an owner’s home surrounded by a park. The latter, an opulent villa called the Herbst Palace, now functions as a museum, open to visitors wishing to marvel at the fabulous and expensive taste of the early Polish capitalists. It stands in a lovely, well-kept park, where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea at the outdoor café (or, in colder months, under the roof in the winter garden). After you’ve visited the museum, be sure to also explore the workers’ quarters—some are still inhabited, while others house small workshops or art galleries.
