A wonderful holiday in Linz, Austria

The city of Linz is ranked as the third largest city of the marvelous Austria. The top two cities of the nation are the famous Vienna and Graz. Linz is also the capital of the Upper Austria state. The city is situated on the northern side of the nation and is located mid-way between the cities of Vienna and Salzburg.

The city is just around 30 km off the nation’s southern border with the Czech border. The city is spread across an area of 96.048 sq km. The river Danube is all over the city and the population of Linz is around 190,000 people. Like all other Austrian cities, Linz too has an elegant charm and is full of historical building which only reminds one of the times gone by.

Just last year, the city achieved a proud honor, which actually reflects the way of life here. The city of Linz bagged the prestigious “European Capital of Culture 2009” title. The city is also a wonderful place to shop. Let’s go through some of the Linz tourist attractions of the place in brief.

Lentos Museum of Art:
This museum features works of art and the exhibits range from the 19th and 20th centuries. The exhibition has featured world famed artists such as Warhol, Klimt and Schiele.

The Castle Museum:
This museum is the largest in Austria on one site. The talking point of the museum is a virtual tour of the natural, cultural and history of the Upper Austria state during the eras gone by. Besides, there are numerous exhibitions held here with special emphasis on specific themes. The year 2009 saw the reinstatement of the Palace’s south wing, which was badly destroyed in the Great Fire of 1800. As a result of the south wing’s re-opening, the museum can now hold additional exhibits as a result of the extra space at its disposal.

The OK Centre for Contemporary Art:
Please be informed, OK stands for Offenes Kulturhaus. This centre is an experimental labority and the main purpose of the lab is to explore new forms of art. The furture plans of the centre is to make the place an exhibition as well production studio, which will help budding artists realise their potential as it will help them in implementing their work from conception to realisation.

St. Mary’s Cathedral:
This masterpiece is also known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The construction of the building started in 1855 and the year 1924 marked the consecration of the building.

The Cathedral has a staggering 20,000 seats and is without a shadow of a doubt the largest in Austria. The Cathedral is also 135 m in height; however, it is not the highest amongst cathedrals in Austria. The distinction of being the highest cathedral goes to Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

The Cathedral is an architectural masterpiece and the talking points of the entire structure are its stained-glass windows. The World War II saw damages to some of the windows on the southern side.

The authorities have in turn replaced the windows with new ones depicting modern art.

Pöstlingberg-Kirche:
The Pöstlingberg-Kirche is a church frequented by pilgrims atop the huge Pöstlingberg hill, which stands at a staggering 537 m. You can experience spectacular views of the city when on top of the hill.

Brucknerhaus:
This concert hall is named after noted composer Anton Bruckner. Bruckner was born in the town of Ansfelden, which is in very close vicinity to the town of Linz.

Gugl Stadium:
This stadium is the home to the famous Linzer Athletic Sports Club soccer team, which has bought fame to the city and country. Today, this stadium is capable of hosting various international sporting events and is the premier sporting facility in the Upper Austria state. Besides sports, the other notable events hosted by the Gugl stadium include Wrestle Mania and John Fogerty.

Ars Electronica Centre:
This center explores the role of new technologies in social and artistic aspirations.

Besides, the city is rich in cultural events which are held throughout the year. Some of the popular events of the place are the Passion concerts held in the city’s churches before the Easter celebrations.

Another event sees athletes and spectators come together annually for the famous Trirun Linz Triathlon and OMV Linz Donau Marathon. The Pöstlingberg hill comes alive every summer during the open air concerts and theatre held at the top of the city.

The city is also home to some top notch universities. Some of the popular ones include The Johannes Kepler University, University of Arts and Industrial Design Linz, Anton Bruckner Private University for Music, Drama, and Dance and the Catholic-Theological Private University Linz.

Linz has also provided some wonderful personalities, who have made a mark for themselves and in turn made the city proud. Some of the famous sons of the soil include Hermann Bahr, Valie Export, Franz Welser-Möst, Thomas Marban, Marco Krainer and Vera Lischka.

Listed below are some of the questions which may be on your mind.

How do I reach Linz?

The city of Linz is served by the Blue Dabube Airport. This airport is quite busy and hosts flights from all around the world. You need to align at this airport and it is recommended you hire the services of a private cab to reach your destination.

The city also boasts good rail connectivity with the other major Austrian cities and the rail network goes beyond the nations borders. The Linz Railway station hosts trains from Vienna, Salzburg and other major European towns such as Prague in the Czech Republic.

Where do I stay during my Linz holiday?

The city of Linz provides a wide variety to choose from when it comes to accommodation. Some of the more popular landmarks of the city include Hotel am Domplatz, Arcotel Nike, Hotel Harry’s Home Linz, Hotel Austria Classic Wolfinger, Landgasthof Hotel Kreuzwirt, Youthotel Linz, Hotel Austria Classic Drei Mohren, Linz Youth Hostel, City-Hotel, Hotel Courtyard By Marriott, Hotel Dom, Hotel Ebelsbergerhof, Hotel Mühlviertlerhof, Novotel , Hotel Schillerpark, Hotel Wienerwald and Hotel Sommerhaus.

When is the best time of the year to visit Linz?

The best time to visit Linz is during the season of spring. The city is full of visitors during the months of January through April as the climate is ideal for a visit. The Christmas season also sees a huge rush for tickets and you should avoid the place during the season of advent as prices are expected to be very high. The period from January to March is ideal as prices are also reasonable.

In conclusion, Linz is the ideal holiday destination not just for history lovers but for people from all walks of life. The place is full of history and modern architecture that I can guarantee you that there will never be a dull moment during your holiday in the city. So, what are you waiting for, just go ahead and plan that all important trip to the wonderful city of Linz in the marvelous Austria.