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History of Linz

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Linz, capital of Upper Austria, is Austria's third major city after Vienna and Graz. It is attractively situated on both banks of the Danube, which widens here after emerging from its narrow passage through the outliers of the Bohemian Forest into the Linz basin. Linz first appears in the minutes as the Roman fortified camp of Lentia in the second C. A.D. In 1490 the Emperor Frederick III, who resided here from 1485 to 1493, bestowed the rank of "Hauptstadt" (chief town or capital), and in 1497 the town was arranged permission to build a bridge over the Danube. It became the see of a bishop in 1785. Among those who lived and worked in Linz were the novelist Adalbert Stifter, Mozart, Kepler and Anton Bruckner. The town, now busy with industry and commerce, has extensive port installations. The main part is located on the right bank of the Danube, backed on the west by the Freinberg (336m/1,102ft). On the left bank lies the district of Urfahr, with the Pöstlingberg (538m/1,765ft) rising above it to the northwest. Among the principal industrial establishments in Linz are the VO+ST-Alpine AG iron and steel works and Chemie Linz AG (chemicals).

Tourist Attractions in Linz

Linz - St Martin's Church; Martinskirche
Below the Linz castle to the west, in Römerstrasse, stands the little St Martin's Church (Martinskirche), the oldest church in Austria preserved in its original form. Built on the remains of Roman walls and first recorded in 799, it is a characteristic example of Carolingian architecture. The frescos in the interior date from the 15th C.

Excavation at the site has revealed the royal hall of the imperial palace. The side walls still stand, showing outlines of doorways and windows dating from the Gothic period. A Roman oven can also be seen.

Also note the many stones inside the church bearing Roman inscriptions.

Linz Schloss
On a hill high above the Danube stands the handsome Linz Schloss, built in the 15th century as the residence of the Emperor Frederick II, enlarged in the 16th century and rebuilt after a fire in 1800. Of the original building only the west gate (1481) survives. The interior was remodeled in 1960-63, and the building now houses the Schlossmuseum, with the artistic and historical collections of the Provincial Museum. On display are items from the prehistoric, early historical, Roman and medieval periods, including paintings, sculpture, arms and armor, etc. Also worth seeing is the Railroad Exhibition (occasional special exhibitions).

Pöstlingberg
Above Urfahr to the northwest rises the prominent hill known as the Pöstlingberg (538m/1,765ft), which can be reached either by electric railroad or by road (5.5km/3.5mi). The Pilgrimage church (1738-48) on the Pöstlingberg has an 18th C. Pietà of carved wood which is the object of great veneration. The finest view is towards evening, with the Mühlviertel and the foothills of the Bohemian Forest to the north, and the chain of the Calcareous Alps, from the Wiener Schneeberg to the Schafberg, to the south.

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