Best places to visit in Linz
To list all of the places to visit in Linz would be impossible.
With its love of experiment and changing perspectives, Linz has, aside from technology and science, often enough been a laboratory for inventive musicians and composers. Linz’s appreciation for the great innovators in music, whether Bruckner, Wagner or Philip Glass, has never showed any signs of waning. One of its leitmotifs spans the period from Wagner to Bruckner, and back again.
Overlooking the Danube, the imposing Linz Castle (Linz Schloss) has dominated the city for centuries. Records indicate the site has in fact been home to a fortress since the early 9th century, the remains of which can still be seen around the old walls and the Friedrich Gate, while the present structure dates predominantly from the 16th century and was rebuilt after a fire in 1800.
Now home to the excellent Schlossmuseum, the castle houses important art and historical collections along with displays featuring artifacts from the prehistoric, Roman, and medieval periods, including paintings, sculptures, arms, and armor. The more modern South Wing contains permanent exhibits regarding nature and technology, as well as temporary exhibits.
Just below Linz Castle, in Römerstrasse, stands quaint little St. Martin's Church (Martinskirche), the oldest church in Austria to be preserved in its original form. Built on the remains of Roman walls that can still be seen in the building's exterior, this remarkable 8th-century church is characteristic of the earliest Carolingian architecture.
Highlights of a visit to this important Catholic church include seeing an interior rich with 15th-century frescoes, along with the outlines of old doorways and windows in the sidewalls dating from the Gothic period. A Roman kiln oven is visible, and many stones inside the church bear Roman inscriptions, while recent excavations have revealed the royal hall of the former imperial palace. Afterwards, be sure to linger awhile on the grounds — it's one of the most picturesque scenes in an incredibly picturesque city.
The excellent Ars Electronica Center — also referred to as the Museum of the Future — was founded in 1996 and moved to its present ultra-modern location on the Danube in 2009. Designed to showcase the city's reputation as a dynamic center of technology, media, industry, and art, the center features exhibits focusing on the technology shaping our modern world, including displays related to climate change and pollution, space exploration, biotechnology, and robotics.
The center is also the site of the annual Ars Electronica Festival, which recognizes world leaders in computer music, animation, interactive art, and web design. Temporary and special exhibitions are also held regularly at the center. Be sure to take a walk along the Danube after sundown to see the center and other area museums lit up as part of a stunning riverside lightshow.
Another of Linz's state-of-the-art museums located on the banks of the Danube, the Lentos Art Museum (Lentos Kunstmuseum) opened its doors in 2003 and has since become one of the most important art galleries in Austria. Highlights of this spectacular museum — itself a work of art when lit up at night — are its rich collection of more than 1,500 pieces of artwork, including examples from the 19th century, as well as classical modernist masterpieces by the likes of Austrians Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.
Other highlights include a collection of important works from the German and Austrian Expressionist movement of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as international works from the postwar period. The museum also has a notable collection of sculptures, sketches, and photographs, as well as a shop, a reference library, and a great restaurant with a large patio overlooking the Danube.
Whether you're looking for places to visit in Linz for one day or things to do in several days, you'll have plenty of choices in this elegant city.
Top places to visit in Linz you have to see to experience the best of Linz’s tourism. So pack your bags and grab your passport because you’re going to want to book a flight to Linz... price from 179.99 EUR
