Linz offers an Austria beyond the stereotypes – and museums that do things differently.
What is Linz all about?
If you’ve come for the Austrian stereotypes – grand Habsburg palaces, classical music and alpine cowscapes – then Linz’s forward thinking, innovative modernity comes as a shock. Austria’s third largest city is all the better for not being a tour bus-crammed kitschbomb, however. Built at the spot where the River Danube turns to the east, Linz is understatedly pretty. Look up while wandering through the old city and you’ll find plenty of handsome stucco work. Take the vertiginous tram up to the Postlingberg hill and there’s evocative old school charm.
But the overall feel is of a city looking to the future – more Google than apple strudel. Highly distinctive cultural attractions are showcased inside bold architectural statements, a large student population feeds a young energy and change is actively welcomed rather than fought against.
A walk around Linz’s highlights
Kick off at the Schlossmuseum, which stretches between the castle and a strikingly contemporary glass extension. The collection is large, and covers multiple topics – from technological developments in Upper Austria to armoury and natural history – but English language signage is minimal. If picking one section, go for the folk art collection – the painted wooden cabinets are absolutely gorgeous and need no explaining.
From there, stroll through the largely pedestrianized streets of the old town until you emerge at Hauptplatz, the city’s main hub. Detour to gigantic Alter Dom cathedral for a gawp at the OTT decoration, then finish at the big glass oblong on the riverbank. It’s Lentos – Linz’s modern art museum. The permanent collection, with the likes of Warhol and Klimt, is strong, but the strength tends to be in daring temporary exhibitions.
There shouldn’t really be any excuse needed to take a walk alongside the Danube, but the Donaupark along the southern bank is a great place to catch joggers and dog walkers. It also acts as an open-air sculpture gallery – giant, weird art installations are evenly spotted on the grass.
Linz’s top attraction
Linz’s unquestioned star is the Ars Electronica Center, which is all about technology and how it affects society. There’s some pretty cutting edge stuff in there, such as thought-controlled prosthetic limbs and high end 3D printers. But it’s most fascinating where art, technology and sociological statement meet – such as the giant jigsaw puzzle of a man made from pieces of information Facebook had stored about him.
Day trips from Linz
Linz is the nearest city to the gorgeous Cesky Krumlov in Czechia. Of the Linz to Cesky Krumlov transport options, the bus is quicker than the train. There’s also a direct train from Prague to Linz.
Where to eat in Linz
In keeping with the city’s character, dining veers towards the modern and inventive rather than hearty Austrian classics. Cook is a great example – marrying a fish-heavy Scandinavian ethos with Asian flavours. Classic examples include the monkfish in coconut curry.
Herberstein is playful too, straddling the line between homely and contemporary, often with surprising fusion ingredients thrown into dishes like the €21.50 stewed beef cheeks. The ivy-strewn garden is lovely when warm outside, too.
Shopping in Linz
The old town is liberally sprinkled with shops that make you want to have a second look – homewares, design and independent fashion boutiques are prevalent. But Bischofstrasse has an almost 100% hit rate. Amongst the antique stores and jewellers, Living at number 15 does fabulous giftware – all stone-carved figurines and beautifully quaint wooden radio sets. StandArt at number 3 goes for ultrabold cartoony trinkets, from dressed-up rubber ducks to garish toasters.
Linz accommodation recommendations
The arte Hotel fully embraces Linz’s artistic verve, with different cultural organisations from the city having a hand in designing each floor. The rooms all have massive, individually-designed screen prints behind the beds, and the bright red starburst-style sponges in the bathroom add to the quirk factor.
The oddly-shaped glass and concrete blob opposite the neo-Gothic Mariendom cathedral is another design-focused joint. The Hotel Am Domplatz makes clever use of space, with gorgeous wooden floors, hyper-cool mood lighting panels, and dreamy cathedral views.
For something for evocatively old-fashioned, the Wolfinger is primely positioned on Hauptplatz. It has kept most of the rooms – some of which have vaulted roofs – furnished in a charmingly timewarped Regency style.
More Austria travel
Other Austria travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Vienna to Salzburg train times and ticket prices.
- Visiting Salzburg’s Sound of Music locations.
- Is the Bergisel ski jump in Innsbruck worth the entry fee?
- The incredible range of strudels at Innsbruck’s Kroll café.
- Why the Naschmarkt might be your favourite bit of Vienna.
