Linz is the third largest city in Austria with 188,968 inhabitants, is the capital of the federal province of Upper Austria and forms the heart of Austria´s second strongest economic region. Linz is by the Danube (Donau) river. The tourist slogan of the city is "In Linz beginnt's" ("It starts in Linz").
Understand
Linz is an industrial city (with huge steel and chemical works) which was bombed during World War II - and was one of the few cities of Nazi-Germany that escaped total destruction. While Linz does indeed have a sizable "Altstadt" (old town) it may be disappointing to those tourists familiar with the charm of Graz or Salzburg. The old city has not been cared for by the local government and shows severe signs of decay. Linz is primarily a student and industrial town and while not particularly beautiful, is more representative of a "real" Austrian city vs. the almost fairy tale like quality of Salzburg.
While industry in Linz is still financially important, it is slowly diversifying by helping small companies and encouraging tourism. The city gets a lot of international media attention because of its annual Ars Electronica Festival; an international festival for Electronic Art. It also hosts the "Klangwolke" ("sound-cloud"); a big cultural Open-Air spectacle with modern and traditional music and a massive light show, which is held in September. Linz will become the "European Capital of Culture" in 2009, by virtue of an independent cultural development and an innovative culture and art scene.
Get in
By plane
The Blue Danube Airport of Linz is located outside the city, but there is a bus service from Linz to the airport, which takes about 20 minutes.
By train
Arriving in Linz, - by train -Hourly Intercity and Eurocity connections to Salzburg and Vienna, and from there to all important European capitals.
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) has timetables and the opportunity to buy tickets online .
By car
Driving to Linz - by car - is easy. It is connected with Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich via the A1 Autobahn/motorway ; the Muehlviertel A7 Autobahn , and the south of Austria (Graz (Styria), Klagenfurt (Carinthia)) via the A9 Autobahn. It is also connected to Germany via Passau. There are plans to extend a motorway north to the Czech Republic, but work is not expected to start until 2009. The best way to drive north is currently on the B125 Bundesstrasse/B-road .
By boat
Find all shipping-enterprises of Linz here:
There is regular passenger boat service on the Danube from and to Vienna and Passau, Germany. A list of Austrian passenger services on the Danube can be found at this shipping schedule.
Get around
There is a good way of getting around in Linz via public transport, buses and tram. There is a map of the tram (red) and bus lines available, as well as an on-line time table. A one-day ticket is € 3,20 for over 14-year-olds, & € 1,60 for under 14-year-olds. There is also a 4-stop ticket for €0.80.
Students can get an Aktivpass which allows you to buy a monthly card for €10.00 valid for all lines and you get all tickets at half price.
Tickets are purchased ONLY from the electronic vending machines at each stop. Cards on the other hand are sold at tobacco and newspaper shops.
Linz City Ticket
The big experience package for € 20,00 enables an individual and independent tour through the Danube city.
Available at the Tourist Office and in many hotels.
The "Linz City Ticket" includes:
A Restaurant voucher for € 10,00
Sightseeing Tour on the Linz City Express train
Admission to 12 museums of the city including "Ars Electronica Center" and "Lentos"
Picture Postcard of Linz (different pictures)
"Pöstlingberg Experience" ticket valid for a ride up & down on the Pöstlingberg tram as well as day ticket for tram line 3
Ride with the grotto railway
Admission to the Botanical Gardens
Admission to the Linz zoo
20% reduction for a boat trip Linz - Aschach - Linz
14% reduction (€ 6,- instead of € 7,-) for the DAILY sightseeing tour of LINZ
Railway day ticket to the Hallstatt salt mines, at € 26,50 instead of € 45,90
See
When strolling through the heart of the city, one can literally sense its history. The lanes of the old town, which lies directly at the foot of the castle, communicate the feeling of past ages. Splendid town residences and chapter houses are worthy of closer scrutiny, as are the many inner countryards hidden discretely behind arched gates. Moreover, the spacious, baroque main square with its lively hustle and bustle is never far away.
Linz is also a city of churches. With its 134m tower and space for 20,000 people, the New Cathedral is Austria´s largest church. In addition, the city landmark, the pilgrimage basilica on the Pöstlingberg, is also clearly in view. A symbol of Linz is the Lentos Museum of modern art, which has a striking glass facade that is illuminated at night with alternating colours.
Events
Linz is a synonym for variety that is found at open air events, in bars and restaurants and in the theatre and on concert stages of the city. At Whitsun, the Linz Festival offers a cultural open-air festival in the Danube park, while in July the international "Pflasterspektakel" brings over 500 clowns, acrobats and mimes to the city´s streets. Moreover, September sees the musical "Cloud of Sounds" in the Donaupark, the Ars Electronica Festival and the Bruckner Festival.
The Linz markets provide an opportunity to browse, and sample, whether at the weekly markets or the twice yearly Urfahr Fair, which is Austria´s oldest public festival.
Churches and chapels
:New cathedral
:Herrenstraße 26, open Mo-Sa 7:30am to 9:00am, Sun 8:00am to 7:00pm.
:The construction of the neo-Gothic cathedral was already initiated in 1855 by F.J. Rudiger, then Bishop of Linz, and the foundation stone was laid in 1862. The building was designed by the Cologne cathedral builder Vinzenz Statz.The cathedral was consecrated in 1924. The height of the tower was limited to 134 m (as it was not permitted to surpass St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna ).The cathedral can accommodate 20.000 worshippers and is also notable for its stained glass windows, including the famous "Linz Window" with scenes from the history of Linz (left front). At Christmas the crypt church contains one of the largest nativity scenes, measuring 12 m in length.
:Old cathedral
:Domgasse 3, opened daily 7:00am to 7:00pm.
:Designed according to drawings by Pietro Francesco Carlone, the cathedral was built between 1669 and 1678. It was the cathedral church of the diocese of Linz from 1785-1909. The single-nave Baroque church has lateral chapels and galleries, as well as a closed choir and stucco work by J.P. Spaz and G.B. Mazza. The marble high altar is by Colomba and Barberini with a picture by Antonio Bellucci. The Aloisian altar picture is by Bartolomeo Altomonte. The choir pews originate from the former monastery church in Garsten, while the organ by Franz Xaver Krismann derives from Engelzell monastery. From 1856-1868 Anton Bruckner served as the cathedral organist.
:Pöstlingbergkirche("Wallfahrtsbasilika")
:Am Pöstlingberg 1, opened daily 8:00am to 6:00pm.
:This pilgrimage church, dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary and perched high above the roofs of the city, is the landmark of the Upper Austrian capital. It was built in 1748 according to plans by Matthias Krinner. The church is popular for weddings because of the unique location.
:St. Martin's Church
:Römerstraße/ Ecke Martinsgasse
:This is regarded as the oldest original church still in existence in Austria. It was first documented in 799. A rectangular building that is no longer visible, partially extending into the nave, probably dates from the Agilofingian period (before 788). During the Carolingian period (after 788), the central structure was erected using debris from Roman buildings. This can be seen on both the inside and outside, while the ground plan is marked by stone slabs. The building was redesigned as a bay church in the 11th century and the pillar arches were filled in. There are Romanesque and Gothic door and window arches dating from later alterations. Inside the building, Roman stone inscriptions and a furnace can be seen. The first bay contains a copy of the Volto-Santo picture by Lucca (around 1440). The interior of the church can be viewed through a glass door. Entrance into the church is only permitted with a tourist guide.
Monuments
:Trinity Column
:In the middle of the Main Square, one of Austria's most attractive closed squares, there stands the 20 m high Baroque Trinity Column (completed in 1723). Carved in white marble by Sebastian Stumpfegger according to a model from Antono Beduzzi, the column bears three inscriptions. These announce the dedication of the column to the Holy Trinity by the guilds, the Emperor and the people of Linz in gratitude for deliverance from the dangers of war (1704), fire (1712) and plague (1713). The column is flanked by the patron saints Sebastian, Florian and Carlo Borromeo.
:Linz castle
:The Linz castle is first documented in 799.
:It was entirely rebuilt in 1477 by Emperor Friedrich III, and there are partial remains of the defensive walls, the bastions and the west entrance (Friedrichstor). The latter is adorned by a stone coat-of-arms (1481) bearing the inscription "AEIOU" ("The whole world is subject to Austria") and the imperial initials. Around 1600, during the rule of Rudolph II, the castle was redesigned and expanded according to plans by the Dutch master builder Anton Muys. The powerful four-story block with two inner courtyards and the main gate to the city (Rudolfstor 1604) date from this time. During the Napoleonic wars the building served as a military hospital, and it was here that the great city fire of 1800 broke out (destruction of the south wing and a part of the transept). Beginning in 1811, the remaining buildings were used as the provincial prison and from 1851 until 1945 as a barracks. Between 1953 and 1963, the fortress was rebuilt and restored as the Upper Austrian Castle Museum.
:It contains permanent exhibitions of art from the Middle Ages to the present day, historical weapons and musical instruments, coins, folklore and technical history, as well as the Kastner collection. There are special exhibitions each year.
:Bischofshof
:The bishop's residence is the most important secular Baroque building in the city. Commissioned by Kremsmünster monastery (1721-26), it was built by Michael Pruckmayr according to plans by Jakob Prandtauer, who was also responsible for the monasteries in Melk and St. Florian. . The impressive lattice gate on the staircase is by Valentin Hoffmann (1727). It is still the episcopal see.
Museums
Culture
Linz has established an international reputation due to its extensive cultural life. You can visit the "culture mile" along the Danube, which stretches from the Brucknerhaus concert hall and the Lentos art museum and the Ars Electronica Center on the northern bank of the river. Linz also possesses a number of stage companies, which offer something for everybody in the form of a range of evening entertainment that extends from classic opera to modern dance theatre.
From June to August the Linz cultural summer features cabaret, open-air concerts and theatre on virtually daily basis at venues that are as varied as the programme itself. These include the bars and squares of the inner city, as well as the romantic Rose Garden high above the rooftops. Moreover, throughout the year, the "Posthof" features "contemporary culture at the harbour" with national and international performers.
Do
There are lots of things to do in Linz. Here are a few possibilities:
Old Town Walk - http://www.linz.at/tourist/e_stadtrundgang.asp
Pöstlingberg - http://www.linz.at/Tourismus/tourismus_9222.asp
Pöstlingberg tram
The "Pöstlingbergbahn", Europe’s steepest mountain railway, carries passengers over a distance of 2.9 km in 16 minutes, with a height difference of 255 m. The Guinness Book of Records confirms that this is a world record.
Built in 1898, the remarkable railway still operates with romantic cars from the turn of the century.
The Grotto Railway
... is located in fortifications built by emperor Maximilian. Riding on the "dragon express", a mini-train in the shape of the mythological beast, the visitor travels through a brightly lit landscape of fairy tale scenes. A 1:7 scale model of the Linz "Hauptplatz" at the turn of the century is situated in the cellar of the citadel’s tower. In the side passages, there are depictions of episodes from famous fairy tales.
Lift for handicapped visitors!
Linz Zoo
Over 800 animals await you on your visit to the local and exotic fauna. There are cuddly animals to hold, a selected collection of mammals (llamas, pygmy cows, sheep, goats,...), a variety of birds (parrots, ostriches, ...) and reptiles (crocodiles, iguanas, snakes,...). They are all to be found at the zoo, which is located half-way up the Pöstlingberg. As an excursion destination the children’s zoo is always popular with the little ones.
"Wallfahrtsbasilika"
This pilgrimage church, dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary and perched high above the roofs of the city, is the landmark of the Upper Austrian capital. It was built in 1748 according to plans by Matthias Krinner. The church is popular for weddings because of the unique location.
Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens on the "Gugl" are among the most beautiful in Europe. Over an area of 43,000 m², there are more than 8,000 various types of plants to admire. In the five greenhouses the splendour of exotic specimens predominates the garden’s unique collection of cacti, the finest in Europe. The natural conditions allow the exhibited plants to be grouped in complete landscapes, so that visitors can imagine they are in the middle of the plant’s natural habitat.
Special shows and exhibitions throughout the year present special attractions.
The bus number 27 goes straight to the Botanical Gardens every 15 minutes from Taubenmarkt station, on foot you need about 30 minutes.
City Express - http://www.geigers.at/express/start.htm
Danube - http://www.linz.at/english/tourism/default_10412.asp
The cultural town Linz~Danube is the ideal starting point for a ship tour. Everyone will find his individual ship adventure in the large variety of cruise line offers. Whether you are looking for a round trip, a scheduled tour or a cruise for a special occasion, e.g. Christmas party on the Danube, your captain and his crew is already waiting for you on board of the ship.
Cinema
Young People
:The Posthof
:Has modern music, dance and comedy performances, which is located near the port.
:The Stadtwerkstatt (near the AEC) and the KAPU
:Are popular meeting points for young people with an alternative lifestyle. They often have gigs with unknown bands.
:Nirvana played at the KAPU about one year before they became world-famous.
:The Phoenix Theater
:Shows modern plays that are also suitable for teenagers.
Buy
The Celtic Foodstore
Hauptplatz 15
Food, drinks and gifts from Britain & Ireland
Eat
Eating in Linz depends on your budget, and taste. Be prepared to search far and wide for open restaurants on Sundays. The entire Altstadt seems to close down Sunday nights leaving tourists restaurant choices only in adjoining districts.
Drink
Drinking in Linz is varied and not that cheap; although if you drink outside of the city centre you will find that the cost of drinks are less than in the centre.
Local beers and warm "Glühwein" (hot, spiced/mulled wine) in winter. Upper-Austrian's "national drink" is Most (it´s cider but not fizzy), and Zipfer beer. There are many Austrian beers, of course.
:Domgasse 5 - 0732 779 409
:In 2006 it came second in "The Best Irish Pub" competition in Austria. An English-named Irish pub that serves Guinness, and has a very friendly atmosphere for Austrians and English native-speakers. Large open-sandwiches and English/Irish crisps and snacks. Shows sports programmes on a daily basis. Occasional "unplugged" live music. Open every day.
:Hessenplatz 19, Mon-Thu 11am to 2am, Fri 11am to 4am, Sat and Sun 2pm to 4am.
:Irish pub, very large burgers. English quiz night for literary types.
:Passage Kaufhaus (Passage Dept. store).
:Large and airy, with enough "hip/cool" clientele to satisfy the needs of people with enough money to spend.
:Kirchengasse 4 (close to the Ars Electonica Center)
:Has a nice cafe and live dj's (reggae,house,world music,hiphop) in the evening (daily - starting at 22.00) Local bands (rock, punk, hiphop) appear at weekends. Concerts take place in a stage area upstairs (away from the bar)and are around €10. DJ's in the bar itself are free of charge.
:Hauptplatz 15 (through an alleyway on the west side)
:In 2006 it won "The Best Irish Pub" competition in Austria. It is a small bar, but has sport on numerous TVs, and is open until very late. Friendly bar staff, but the toilet is outside in the alleyway and must be opened by a switch just inside the front door. It controls "The Celtic Foodstore" (which is next door) where visitors can buy Irish and English food/drinks.
:Johann-Konrad-Vogel Strasse 11 - 0735 797776
:A music-themed pub that allows customers to choose the music that they want to hear. It has a Table-Football table that costs nothing to play. Occasional live music and monthly art exhibitions by local artists. Not open on Sundays.
:Hauptplatz/Main Square
:A large bar/burger restaurant. Games room and occasional live music. Great burgers. Open every day.
:Altstadt 2
:Regular live-concerts in the dance cellar and a guest garden in summer.
Sleep
Hotel Mühlviertlerhof
Graben 24-26
Tel 070 772268
email hotel-muehlviertlerhof.at
Get out
Linz is a good stepping-off point for a trip into the former Southern Bohemian region of Austria, which is now the Czech Republic. Trains go to Ceske Budejovice and on to Prague.
To the south you can travel by train or car to the wonderful region of Salzkammergut, with its picturesque lakes and mountains. Some nice towns are: Gmunden, Bad Ischl, Hallstatt, Bad Aussee, and many more. To the west is Salzburg.
Linz is the third largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich). It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately 30 km south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube, the longest river of the European Union and Europe's second-longest (after the Volga). The population of the city proper is 188,968 (2001), and 271,000 in the agglomeration.
History
The city was founded by the Romans, who called it "Lentia", but there was already a Celtic settlement called "Lentos"; probably their word for the winding of a river.
The city was a provincial and local government city of the Holy Roman Empire, but it was also an important trading point connecting several routes, on either side of the river Danube from the East to the West and Bohemia and Poland from north to the Balkans and Italy to the south.
Being the city where the Habsburg Emperor Friedrich III spent his last years, it was, for a short period of time, the most important city in the empire. It lost its status to Vienna and Prague, after the death of the Emperor in 1493.
Another important inhabitant of the city was Johannes Kepler, who spent several years of his life in the city studying mathematics. He discovered, on May 15, 1618, the distance-cubed-over-time-squared — or 'third' — law of planetary motion. He first made the pope accept its worth. Kepler is the namesake of the local public university, the only one in Austria that embraces the cam stem.
Another honoured citizen of the city was Anton Bruckner, who spent the years between 1855 and 1868 working as a local composer and church organist in the city. The local concert hall "Brucknerhaus" and a local private music and arts university are named after him.
The parents of Adolf Hitler are buried near Linz, in the town of Leonding. He was enrolled in the same Linz school as the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Shortly before, and during World War II, Linz grew to become a major industrial area; manufacturing chemicals and steel for the Nazi war machine. Many factories were dismantled in the newly-acquired Czechoslovakia, and then reassembled in Linz. Hitler had extensive architectural plans for Linz. He regarded it as his home town and wanted to turn it into the main cultural centre of the Third Reich. The Rathaus on the Hauptplatz (the townhall on the Main square) was used by Hitler proclaiming the Grossdeutsches Reich on the balcony of the Rathaus, during der Anschluss.
The Mauthausen-Gusen camps, the last Nazi concentration camps to be liberated, are located near Linz, with the main camp in Mauthausen just 15.6 miles (25km) away.
After the war, the river Danube that runs around Linz — from the eastern side to the northern side — which separates the Urfahr district in the north from the rest of Linz — served as the border between the Russian and American occupation troops. The Nibelungen bridge that spans the Danube river from the Hauptplatz (main square) was at that time Linz's version of Checkpoint Charlie. The Nibelungen Brücke is the only architectural plan Hitler ever carried out in Linz.
Population development
The agglomeration includes (parts of) 13 other municipalities with together 271,000 inhabitants. Linz is also part of the Linz-Wels-Steyr metropolitan area of Upper Austria, home to around one third of the state's population (460,000 people) and second-largest urban area in Austria.
Source: Statistik Austria City of Linz Website
Economy
Linz is an industrial city. The Voestalpine AG is a large steel concern (founded as the "Hermann Göring Werke" during WWII), and which is known for the LD- ("Linz-Donawitz") procedure for the production of steel, and the former "Chemie Linz" chemical group, which has been split up into several companies. This has made Linz one of Austria's most important economic centres. Linz is also the home of PEZ — makers of peppermint candy.
Linz also serves as an important transportation hub for the region of both Upper Austria and, to a lesser degree, southern Bohemia. The "Blue Danube" Linz Airport lies about 6.25 miles (10km) southwest of the town centre. Direct flights include London Stansted, Frankfurt, Zurich and Vienna with additional seasonal routes added during the summer and winter months.
The city lies on Austria's main rail axis, the so-called "Westbahn", linking Vienna with western Austria, Germany and Switzerland. There are also varying types of river transport on the Danube; from industrial barges to tourist cruise ships.
Main sights
The main street "Landstraße" leads from the "Blumauerplatz" to the main square. In the middle of this square the high "Pestsäule" ("plague column", also known as "Dreifaltigkeitssäule" (Dreifaltigkeit means Holy Trinity)) was built to remember the people who died in the plague epidemics.
Near the castle, which is located on the same site as the old Roman fortress Lentia was once built — and also being the former seat of Friedrich the III — the oldest Austrian church is located: Sankt/Saint Martins church. It was built during early medieval Carolingian times.
Other sights include:
Culture
The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his Symphony No. 36 (1783) in Linz for a concert to be given there, and the work is known today as the Linz Symphony. The first version of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 1 in C minor is known as the Linz version.
The city is now home to a vibrant music and arts scene that is well-funded by the city and the state of Upper Austria.
Ars Electronica Center on the north bank of the Danube (in the Urfahr district), across the river from the Hauptplatz (main square), which leads to the historical part of the city (Altstadt), is home to one of the few public 3D CAVEs in Europe. (The very first 3D CAVE world-wide that was publicly accessible) and attracts a large gathering of technologically-oriented artists every year for the Ars Electronica festival.
Recently built (2003) was the new modern art gallery called "Lentos". It is situated on the south banks of the river Danube. The building can be illuminated at night from the inside with blue, pink, red, and violet, due to its glass casing.
The Brucknerhaus, the most important Linz concert hall, named after Anton Bruckner, is situated just some 200 meters away from the "Lentos". It is home to the "Bruckner Orchestra", and is frequently used for concerts, as well as Balls and other events.
Between the Lentos Art Museum and the "Brucknerhaus", is the "Donaulände", which is also referred to as "Kulturmeile" ("culture mile"). This is a park alongside the river, which is used mainly by young people to relax and meet in summer. It is also used for the Ars Electronica Festival and the "Linz Fest".
Along with Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, Linz will be the European Capital of Culture in 2009.
Colleges and universities
The Johannes Kepler University is situated in the north-east of Linz, and hosts law, business, social sciences, engineering, and science faculties; it currently has about 11,000 students. A spin-off of the university, as well as a Fachhochschule for different computer-related studies, (polytechnic) is 20 miles north of Linz in the small town of Hagenberg im Mühlkreis. Linz also has three other universities:
Amongst the many "Gymnasien" (high schools) in Linz, is Linz International School Auhof (LISA), which is one of four IB (International Baccalaureate) schools in Austria, and which uses English as the main language of instruction.
Born in Linz
Miscellaneous
Linz is twinned with:
External links
