Sightseeing in Linz - what to see. Complete travel guide

Linz is a city that occupies the third position in the list of largest settlements of Austria. Here you will always see numerous buses with tourists and bright and picturesque places full of diversity. Linz carefully keeps its history. You can see all main sights of this place in its historical part, so called “Old City”. While walking on silent, shadowy and narrow streets of this part of Linz you will definitely find numerous cozy taverns and beer houses, small churches primarily designed in the Baroque style and two abbeys - Wilhering and St. Florian.

Linz is located on the north of Austria on the bank of the Danube River. The city was built as the military fort near the border with Germany. Linz was founded in approximately 410 BC. The central part of the city organically combines Baroque stylistics of that time with modern complexes built in the modern style. The historical center of the city is kept in very good condition till our days. Tourists may also enjoy visiting the old way that connects the piedmont region of Alps with the north of the country. The main square of the city is located right on the bank of the Danube River. On this square are located the central town hall, a monastery and castle Ursulinerhof, and Landhaus – the building in which are located the government and parliament of the city.

Linz can be also called a cultural city as here are located numerous theatres and music halls. Among them are Unzer theatre – a free assemble, which performances combine choreographic, comedian, dramatic traits of the authentic play; Phoenix Theater that specializes on classic performances; Federal Theater that works for over 200 years and features wide choice of plays; Chameleon Theater, Concert Hall of Bruckner and Posthof. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In the vicinity of Linz, there is an important natural landmark – Hohe Tauern National Park. This is the largest alpine reserve, which was founded in 1981. On its territory, there is a huge glacier, and more than 400 mountain peaks, the height of some of which is more than 3,000 meters. Most tourist routes in this reserve are open in the summer. At this time of the year, you can admire crystal clear mountain lakes, beautiful waterfalls and mountain springs.

One of the most beautiful religious monuments of the city is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. It is one of the largest Catholic cathedrals in Austria. The construction of the Cathedral lasted more than 70 years and was finally completed only in 1924. The cathedral has preserved many original elements of decoration. Its visitors can admire the beautiful stained-glass windows, frescoes and elements of woodwork.

A striking medieval landmark is the Rosenau Castle. The first official mention of this castle refers to 1593, and the exact date of constructing the castle is unknown. Over hundreds of years of its existence, the castle was rebuilt and restored many times. At the beginning of the 18th century, it acquired unique features of the Baroque style that are inherent in it even now. The beautiful castle changed its status more than once. In certain periods, it housed a school, a nursing home, a weaving factory and even a church. Visitors are sure to be told about all the details of the history of the castle during the excursion.

A little-known landmark which is not included in every classical travel guides, is the Pension Steinbacher. This house was built for local workers in the late 19th century, but they did not last long. Already in 1802, the house was privately owned, and not so long ago, it completed a total reconstruction. The main building material for the construction of the house was sandstone. Despite the fact that this material is considered to be quite fragile, the construction has been preserved in its original form to the present day.

An important and significant architectural monument is the “Holzheim Palace”. It is located in the immediate vicinity of Linz. The first mention of this palace dates back to 1075. At the beginning of the 18th century, the palace was completely destroyed by a fire. They managed to reconstruct it in accordance with the very first project.