City of Linz: attractions. Linz am Rhein

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

When it comes to Linz, many tourists get confused. The fact is that there is a city with this name in Austria, as well as in Germany. And both deserve to be visited. Let's look at the sights of the cities of Linz, study the reviews of tourists and try to understand the "zest" of each.

Capital of Upper Austria

Linz on the Danube stretches along both banks of the picturesque river. It ranks third in the country in terms of size. 190 thousand inhabitants live here. Today it is a major industrial, transport and cultural center. However, tourists note its calmness and still preserved provinciality.

Usually Linz is visited on the way from Vienna to Salzburg. It is better to do this from May to October, when pleasant weather sets in with an average temperature of + 20 ° C. The city pleases tourists with its neatness and beautiful panoramas. However, fans of outdoor activities and noisy parties may find it boring to walk through the streets with sightseeing. Linz in Austria immerses you in the atmosphereEuropean measured and unhurried. Here you can stay for a few days, devoting the first of them to exploring the city itself, and the other to trips around the surroundings.

History

The oldest sights in Linz have not been preserved, although people have settled here since the Bronze Age. It is known that a Celtic settlement with the name Lentos was originally created. Then the area passed to the Romans, who in 15 BC. built here the border fortress of Lencia. In 799, Bavarian written monuments mention the city of Linz. This is due to the construction of the oldest Austrian church of St. Martin.

Medieval Linz was part of the Roman Empire. In 1490, it was even proclaimed the capital by the ruler Frederick III. True, it did not last long. But the city got the opportunity to build a bridge across the Danube, which contributed to the development of trade. Linz became a major center of industry during the Nazi era. A. Hitler spent his childhood here, and wanted to see the city as part of the Reich. Since 1938, military factories and the Mauthausen concentration camp operated in Linz, on the site of which today there is a Memorial Museum.

Sights of Linz

What should a tourist see in this wonderful Austrian city? Below is a list of the most interesting places:

Austrians call Linz the city of churches. Here you can see the churches of St. Martin (799) and the Pilgrims (1648), as well as the Old Cathedral, built in 1678and the New Council of 1924.
On the main square called Houtplatz (1260) stands a column in honor of the Holy Trinity, which protected the city from the plague.
Walking around the center, you can see the old town hall, built in 1513, and the house-museum where Mozart stayed.
There are two castles in the city. On the site of the Roman fort, the castle of Linz was built, in which Frederick III lived. The Landhaus Palace was erected in 1571. The descendants of Countess E. Bathory, who became famous for massacres of young girls, lived in it.
The steep railroad takes you up Mount Pestlinberg. From here you can see an excellent panorama of the city. There is also a Botanical Garden with a rich collection of cacti. Children will be happy to visit the Grottenbahn caves, where gnomes live and a dragon-shaped locomotive rides.
In bad weather, you can take a walk around the Electronic Arts Center or the Lentos Art Museum.

Festivals

Some tourists find sightseeing in Linz boring. If your soul craves for bright impressions, time your visit to local festivals.

There are several here:

Bruckner Festival (September) in honor of the famous composer A. Bruckner, who lived in this city. Its feature is "Sound cloud", when modern music is accompanied by video projections, fireworks, balloon launches, laser shows and other effects.
Ars Electronica Festival (September), where you can see with your own eyeswonders of 3D graphics and take a virtual flight over Upper Austria.
Pflusterplay Festival (July). These days, artists and circus performers, clowns and artists, poets and dancers demonstrate their art on the streets, actively involving the audience in their performances.

Outskirts of the city

Those with enough time can linger in the city and explore the sights around Linz. These include:

Monastery of St. Florian in the Baroque style, where the composer A. Bruckner served as organist. The place will appeal to connoisseurs of painting.
A Benedictine abbey in Lambach, where you can admire romantic frescoes and stuccoes, and see funny sculptures of gnomes in the garden.
Wilhering Abbey, whose church is famous for its magnificent rococo interiors.
The oldest town of Enns in Austria, which can be reached in 15 minutes. Here are preserved houses built in the Renaissance. Especially popular is the Stadtturm clock tower, which you can climb to see the surroundings.

Linz am Rhein

Sights of the German town with the same name do not leave tourists indifferent. It is located west of Cologne, in Rhineland-Palatinate. Only 6 thousand people live in this Linz. Despite its small size, the city attracts attention with its colorfulness. Getting here, people are immersed in a fabulous atmosphere. No wonder Linz is called the "gingerbread town".

Lovers of half-timbered houses will get a real pleasure. Walking along the narrow cobbled streets, you can imagine yourself as a resident of the Middle Ages. By the way, it was here that Turgenev stopped when he composed the story "Asya" filled with lyrics.

History

Probably, the first inhabitants of these places on the right bank of the Rhine were the Celtic tribes (600 BC), who were then replaced by the Carolingians. The first written mention of the settlement dates back to 874. The first church was built here in the 9th century. Linz received city status in 1320. In those days, raids by nomadic tribes were not uncommon. Therefore, in 1391, the construction of the Fortress Gate began, designed to serve as a reliable protection for the inhabitants. In 1543, the Town Hall was erected, another of Linz's landmarks.

Germany did not always belong to the city. During his long life, he passed from hand to hand, managed to stay under the rule of the Swedes, the British. During the reign of Napoleon, it belonged to France, since 1815 - to Prussia. This caused serious damage. Restoration of Linz began in 1861. After the construction of the railway, industry began to develop here, represented mainly by winemaking and bas alt mining. Today, tourist destinations are actively developing in the city.

Attractions

You can walk around the tiny town in one day. Below is a list of attractions in Linz. Photos allow you to form an idea of the unforgettable atmosphere of this place.

Tourists are usually attracted:

The Rhine Gate of the 14th century, near which in ancient times the burgomaster handed over the key to the city to its new owner.
Burgplatz, where you can see the Linz Talker Fountain, an old house built in 1500 and a castle founded in 1365.
The "New Gate" from 1391, next to which there is a sculpture of a running boy with a ratchet.
Kastenholzplatz, where the bells of the old town hall still ring. There are also two fountains here: Mariensaule with the image of the Virgin on a high column and Ratsbrunnen with sculptures of members of the city parliament. Their arms are hinged. By raising them up or down, the citizens can express their attitude towards the authorities.
St. Martin's Church, built in 1214 and famous for its wall paintings.
Modern church built in honor of the Virgin Mary. In it you can see the altar image of this saint from 1463.
Houses where Beethoven and Turgenev stayed.

Castle Museum

Wandering around the city, tourists linger for a long time in the castle of Linz. Today there are several interesting objects here. In the basement there is an opportunity to see the torture chamber and learn the secrets of medieval interrogations with passion. From here you can go to the glass-blowing workshop, where copies of antique vases made of white or colored glass will be made in front of your eyes. The "Sounding Museum" leaves an unforgettable impression, in which mechanical instruments for one coin will play for youperky melody.

Also in Linz there is the Museum of Dolls and the Museum of Antiques. In the latter you can see ancient swords and sabers, medieval chain mail, the first car, telephone, printing press.

The sights of Linz - both Austrian and German - arouse the interest of tourists and allow you to feel a special medieval flavor. Nevertheless, these are very different cities, the history of which is worthy of respect. Don't miss out on visiting these places while in Europe and you won't be disappointed.