Linz

Linz has its own international airport, the Blue Danube Airport in Horsching just outside the city of Linz, but it sees very little international traffic. Austrian Airlines flies from Blue Danube Airport to Vienna and Düsseldorf and Lufthansa to Frankfurt, where you can connect to Lufthansa Group's extensive global flight network. Ryanair offers frequent low-fare flights to London-Stansted. There are also charter and seasonal flights to holiday destinations around the Mediterranean and to Canary Islands.

• 🌍 Blue Danube Airport (LNZ  ^IATA Linz Airport), Flughafenstraße 1, ☏ +43 7221 6000, fax: +43 7221 600-100, info@linz-airport.com. M-F 05:30-23:00, Sa Su 06:00-23:00. Although it's outside the city, there is a bus service to Linz from the airport, which takes about 20 minutes and costs around €3. A taxi costs around €25-30. You can also take the train to Horsching (€1.80) and then the free shuttle bus to the airport from the railway station. 

Alternatively, you can fly to the Vienna International Airport or Munich Airport and take a train from either city to Linz. Direct high-speed trains to Linz depart from Vienna International Airport's terminal. From Munich Airport, you need to take a local suburban train to Munich Hbf first and transfer to a long-distance train to Linz there. The total journey time is around 1 hr 40 min from Vienna International Airport and 3 hr 45 min from Munich Airport.

If you are flying Austrian, the train from Vienna airport to Linz is included in your flight ticket and Austrian guarantees your connection. See here for details.

• 🌍 Linz Hauptbahnhof, Bahnhofplatz. Ticket office: daily 06:00-21:00; automats: 24 hr. Linz has hourly Railjet, Intercity and Eurocity connections to Salzburg and Vienna, and from there to all important European capitals and major cities. ÖBB has online timetables and offers various ticketing options. It also has storage lockers, a Spar grocery store and tourist information office. 

• ShuttleCeskyKrumlov.com (Shuttle bus from/to Cesky Krumlov). 1 hours. Offers door-to-door shuttle bus and private car/van transportation to Vienna from Cesky Krumlov, Linz and back for 420 Kč (~€19) per person. See the timetable. €19. 
• CK Shuttle (Cesky Krumlov shuttlebus service). Offers a door-to-door transportation service from Linz to Cesky Krumlov and back for 400 Kč (~€16) pro person. The ride takes about 1½ hours. €16. 

Linz is connected with Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich via the A1 Autobahn/motorway; the Muehlviertel and the Czech Republic via the A7 Autobahn and the B310 regional road, and the south of Austria (Graz (Styria), Klagenfurt (Carinthia)) via the A9 Autobahn. It is also connected to Germany via Passau.

The website of the city of Linz lists all cruises departing from the city. There is regular passenger boat service on the Danube from and to Vienna and Passau, Germany.

The Linz Card (1-day: €16, 3-day: €35) provides unlimited public transport through the city, and free or discounted admission to two dozen museums, galleries and tours. It is available at the Tourist Office and in many hotels. Reduced price (1 day: €15/ 3-day: €33) for children, students under 26, and those who have a valid train ticket (ÖBB, Westbahn) with destination Linz.

• 🌍 New Cathedral (Mariendom), Herrenstraße 26, ☏ +43 732 946100, domcenter@dioezese-linz.at. Jun-Sep: Tu-Su 10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00; Oct-May: Tu-Sa 10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00. 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. (updated Oct 2017)

• 🌍 Old Cathedral (Alter Dom), Domgasse 3, ☏ +43 732 7708660, ignatiuskirche-linz@jesuiten.org. M-F 08:00-12:00. 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. (updated Oct 2017)

• 🌍 Pöstlingbergkirche (Wallfahrtsbasilika), Am Pöstlingberg 1, ☏ +43 732 7312280. Daily 08:00-18:00. 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 (Martinskirche), Römerstraße/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 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. 

• 🌍 Trinity Column (Dreifaltigkeitssäule/Pestsäule), Hauptplatz (in the centre of the 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 (Linzer Schloß / Schlossmuseum Linz), Schlossberg 1, ☏ +43 732 77 44 19, fax: +43 732 774419 29, schloss@landesmuseum.at. T W F 09:00-18:00, Th 09:00-21:00, Sa Su and holidays 10:00-17:00. 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 Schlossmuseum Linz. 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. €6.50 adults, €4.50 concessions, free for Linz Card holders. (updated Jan 2017)
• 🌍 Bishop's Residence (Bischofshof), Herrenstraße 19. 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). 

• 🌍 Lentos Museum of Art (Lentos Kunstmuseum), Ernst-Koref-Promenade 1, ☏ +43 732 7070 3600, fax: +43 732 7070 3604, info@lentos.at. Tu W F-Su 10:00-18:00; Th 10:00-21:00. Houses a large collection focusing on modern art, with representative works by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Oskar Kokoschka, as well as current contemporary art. €8 adults, €6 seniors, €4.50 students, free for children under 7. 

• 🌍 Ars Electronica Center, Ars-Electronica-Straße 1, ☏ +43 732 7272 0, center@aec.at. T W 09:00-17:00, Th 09:00-21:00, F 09:00-17:00, Sa Su and holidays 10:00-18:00. This cutting-edge museum serves as a venue for art which explores the creative potential of the latest technology. Multiple child-friendly expositions are available, as well as hands-on expositions of various technical topics (sound and music, virtual reality, robots etc.). €8 adults, €6 concessions, free for children under 6 and for Linz Card holders. 

• 🌍 Provincial Gallery of Linz (Landesgalerie Linz), Museumstraße 14, ☏ +43 732 774482 0, fax: +43 732 774482 66, galerie@landesmuseum.at. T W 09:00-18:00, Th 09:00-21:00, F 09:00-18:00, Sa Su and holidays 10:00-17:00. The museum has a large collection of modern and contemporary art, with rotating special exhibits of works by Upper Austrians. €6.50 adults, €4.50 concessions, free for Linz Card holders. 
• 🌍 Nordico Museum of the City of Linz (Nordico Stadtmuseum Linz), Dametzstraße 23, ☏ +43 732 7070 1912, nordico@nordico.at. Tu W 10:00-18:00, Th 10:00-21:00, F-Su 10:00-18:00. This former monastery now houses the civic museum, with rotating exhibits focused on regional history and ecology. €6.50 adults, €4.50 seniors, €2.50 students under 27/civil servants, free for children under 7, free for Linz Card holders. 
  • 🌍 LinzGenesis (City History in Fast Motion), Hauptplatz 1 (Old City Hall, entrance near Rathausgasse), ☏ +43 732 7070 1920, fax: +43 732 793518, nordico@mag.linz.at. M-W 09:00-13:00; Th F 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00. A branch of the Nordico Museum with displays dedicated to the history of Linz and its famous residents. €8, free for Linz Card holders. 
• 🌍 Museum of the History of Dentistry in Upper Austria (Linzer Museum für Geschichte der Zahnheilkunde und Zahntechnik), Hauptplatz 1 (Old City Hall, entrance near Pfarrgasse), ☏ +43 732 7070 1920, fax: +43 732 793518, office@zahnmuseum-linz.at. M-W 09:00-13:00; Th F 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00. A one-room museum dedicated to the history of dentistry, from the 17th century until the present. Free. 
• 🌍 StifterHaus (Upper Austrian Literature Museum), Adalbert-Stifter-Platz 1, ☏ +43 732 7720 11294, fax: +43 732 7720 11780, office@stifter-haus.at. Tu-Su and holidays 10:00-15:00. The 19th-century Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter lived in this house for many years. It is now a museum devoted to Austrian literature, with exhibits of manuscripts and multimedia. Free. 
• 🌍 The O.K. Center for Contemporary Art (Offenes Kulturhaus Oberösterreich), OK-Platz 1, ☏ +43 732 784178 0, fax: +43 732 775684, office@ok-centrum.at. M-F 16:00-22:00, Sa Su 11:00-22:00. Hosts contemporary art exhibits and festivals, with a focus on installation and multimedia art. €10 adults, €7 seniors/disabled, €5 (children/students/military/youth under 27), free (children under 6). 
• 🌍 Biology Center Dornach (Biologiezentrum Dornach), Johann-Wilhelm-Klein-Straße 73 (near Johannes Kepler University), ☏ +43 7720 52100, fax: +43 7720 252199, bio-linz@landesmuseum.at. M-F 09:00-17:00, Su and holidays 10:00-17:00; guided tours Su at 14:00. Has science exhibits with a focus on botany and zoology. Free. (updated Jan 2017)

• 🌍 Military History Collection in Ebelsberg Castle (Schloß Ebelsberg), Ebelsberger Schlossweg 7, ☏ +43 732 307632, fax: +43 732 307632 6, schloss.ebelsberg@utanet.at. May-Oct: Sa Su and holidays 10:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00. Exhibits a large collection of historic firearms, as well as items from the former Austrian Imperial Navy. €4 adults, €3 concessions. (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Cowboy-Museum Fatsy, Traundorfer Straße 266 (Pichling), ☏ +43 732 791855. Apr-Jun: Sa Su and holidays 13:00-18:00. An unusual museum founded by Austrian entertainer Hans-Jörg Ratzenböck. It houses displays illustrating American cowboy life, with a replica rancher's room, sheriff's office, and gambling room. €5 adults, €2.50 children. 
• 🌍 voestalpine Stahlwelt, voestalpine-Straße 4, ☏ +43 50 3041 58900. M-Sa 09:00-17:00, closed Su and holidays. The voestalpine steel works run an impressive museum and experience centre devoted to the manufacturing and processing of steel, as well as applications thereof. One can visit on their own, or join an organized tour with a guide (1.5 hours), which can be expanded with a tour of the manufacturing facilities (3 hours in total). The Panorama Cafe atop the building offers views over Linz, drinks and light snacks. Groups can pre-order lunches there. €8 adults, €6 concessions/groups over 15 people, free children under 6 and for Linz Card holders; €8 factory tour. 

• 🌍 Botanic Gardens (Botanischer Garten), Roseggerstraße 20 (Bus 27 from Taubenmarkt, or 30min on foot), ☏ +43 732 7070 1860. Daily Nov-Feb: 08:00-17:00, Mar & Oct: 08:00-18:00, Apr & Sep: 08:00-19:00, May-Aug 07:30-19:30; closed 24 Dec – 6 Jan. One of the most beautiful and extensive botanic gardens in Europe, with more than 10,000 plants and five greenhouses. Particularly noteworthy is the cactus collection. Special exhibits and presentations are hosted throughout the year. €3 adults, €2 concessions, free children under 6. 
• 🌍 Linz Zoo (Tiergarten Linz), Windflachweg 1 (halfway up Pöstlingberg), ☏ +43 732 737180, office@zoo-linz.at. Nov-Mar 09:00-17:00, Apr-Oct 09:00-19:00. 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). As an excursion destination the children’s zoo is always popular with the little ones. €4.50 adults, €2 children 6-13, free children under 6. 
• 🌍 Skulpturenpark Artpark, Hamerlingstraße. A 5,000-m² sculpture garden, with works by more than 20 artists. Free. 

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.

• 🌍 Brucknerhaus, Untere Donaulände 7, ☏ +43 732 76120, brucknerhaus@liva.linz.at. Designed by the architect-duo Heikki and Kaija Siren, this is the venue for the annual Brucknerfest and Ars Electronica Festival. (updated Jan 2017)
• 🌍 Posthof. 
• 🌍 Stadtwerkstatt. 
• Kulturzentrum Hof. 

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. In late April, the yearly Crossing Europe film festival for young European film features works with unconventional, courageous filmic positions. 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 Fair/Carneval Urfahraner Jahrmarkt, which is Austria´s oldest public festival.

During the universities lecture periods (October–January/march-June) there is a wide range of student parties among the campuses of the 4 universities in Linz. Particularly interesting might be the weekly Mensafest every Thursday in Dornach/Urfahr on the campus of Johannes-Kepler-University and the gatherings at the Sommerhaus Hotel during the SAICCA program that runs mid-May through mid-June.

• The Moviemento and City cinemas show films that are not mainstream in original languages with German subtitles.
• The Cineplexx in the harbor shows all the actual blockbusters. Thursday is movie night, so it is the cheapest day to go.

• The Posthof. Has modern music, dance and comedy performances, which is located near the port. 
• The Stadtwerkstatt (near the AEC). Popular meeting point for young people with an alternative lifestyle. They often have gigs with unknown bands.
• 🌍 Kapu, Kapuzinerstrasse 36, ☏ +43 732 779660, kapu@servus.at. Popular meeting point for young people with an alternative lifestyle. It started out as punk bar. They often have gigs with unknown bands. Nirvana played at the KAPU about one year before they became world-famous. The texta hip hop concerts are legendary too. 
• 🌍 Theater Phönix (Theater Phönix). Shows modern plays that are also suitable for teenagers. 

All these are in the city centre:

• 🌍 Leberkäse Pepi, Rathausgasse 3. M-Th 08:00-04:00, F 08:00-05:00, Sa 09:00-14:00, 18:00-05:00. You can get Leberkäse pretty much in every supermarket, but it's hard to find a place that serves as tasty and as various ones as here. It is a bit more expensive than in supermarkets, but the bread roll with Leberkäse is still low-priced. There is another store in the central train station. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Big Joe Falafel, Graben 28. Serving tasty falafel sandwiches. The other food of the menu is terrific too. In addition, the operators are super nice. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Gösserkeller, Pfarrgasse 8. Classic Austrian dishes like Beuschel, roast pork and schnitzel. The host very friendly. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Don, Graben 32b. Very good sushi restaurant. Also has other good Chinese food. The portions are quite large. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Linzer Heuriger, Lederergasse 15. Rustic restaurant with good home cooking. Choice to eat either outdoors and inside the restaurant. Nice guest garden with a large chestnut tree. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Wokman, Graben 36. Great Japanese and Chinese food. Simply furnished, pleasant place. The service is fast and kind. The menu is delicious. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Schadzi Cafe, Mozartstraße 19. Great vegetarian and vegan dishes. Gluten-free options. High quality slow food ingredients. A breakfast here is special because it explicitly has oriental influences. Very nice, green guest garden in the backyard. Such a relaxed vibe. (updated May 2022)

• 🌍 Jindrak, Herrenstraße 22-24, ☏ +43 732 779258. M-Sa 8AM-6PM. A pastry shop serving the local speciality Linzer Torte (a cake). (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Gelbes Krokodil, OK Platz 1, ☏ +43 732 784182. M W-F 12:00-15:00 17:00-23:30, Tu 12:00-15:00 18:00-23:30, Sa Su 16:00-23:30. The Yellow Crocodile is next to/a part of the Moviemento Cinema, downstairs below street level. It has special vegetarian plates. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Stadtbräu Josef, Landstraße 49. Daily 10:00-16:00. (updated May 2022)
• 🌍 Alte Welt, Hauptplatz 4. The name ("Old World") suits this restaurant and bar perfectly. The entrance is in a small courtyard, with seemingly uncontrolled growing plants. The inside reminds of an inn from former times. The often changing menu ranges from typical Austrian dishes to mediterranean cuisine, at a reasonable price. A variety of cultural events take place in the wine cellar. €7 for lunch. 

• 🌍 Verdi-Restaurant-Einkehr, Pachmayrstraße 137. (updated Sep 2022)

• 🌍 Motel Pension Rosenhof, Wegscheiderstrasse 76 4020, ☏ +43 732387069. It's a lovely hotel with good rooms and a nice view, and there is a bus stop about 100 meters away between St. Isidor and Hart. 
• Das Park Hotel, Rodlpark, Ottensheim (10 km west from Linz). Completely automated concrete drain tubes with beds inside, you book (through website) and you're given a code for the door. From May through October. Honour based system; contribute as much as you wish to the project. 
• 🌍 Ibis Linz City. 
• 🌍 ibis Styles Linz. 

• 🌍 Hotel Mühlviertlerhof, ☏ +43 70 772268. Graben 24-26. 
• 🌍 Austria Trend Hotel Schillerpark. 
• 🌍 Park Inn by Radisson Linz. 
• 🌍 Courtyard by Marriott Linz. 
• 🌍 Arcotel Nike. 
• 🌍 Spitz Hotel, Fiedlerstrasse 6. 
• 🌍 Austria Classic Hotel Wolfinger, Hauptplatz 19. 
• 🌍 Hotel zum schwarzen Bären, Herrenstraße 9-11. 

• 🌍 Hotel Am Domplatz, Stifterstraße 4 (city center), ☏ +43 732 773000. Business hotel direct in the city center with modern and well furbished rooms. 
• 🌍 Steigenberger Linz, Am Winterhafen 13, ☏ +43 732 78990. Direct at the danube and close to the A7/E55 Autobahn this four star hotel is good located in the industrial area of Linz. Rooms are spacious and breakfast is good. 

• Romania, Poschacherstrasse, 35, ☏ +43 732 662233, fax: +43 732 69512560, wolfgang@berger-vogel.at. Honorary Consulate (Does not provide consular services. Instead, Romanian citizens in need of assistance should contact the embassy in Vienna.). (updated Dec 2021)