An Independent Guide to the City of Linz, Austria
European Capital of Culture 2009 (joint with Vilnius, Lithuania)

by David Haardt

Important note: The information given in this guide is entirely subjective, based on my experience from having lived in the city for 17 years and from many visits to it. While I have made an effort to get everything right, there may be mistakes in it. Moreover, hotels, restaurants, and other establishments of course sometimes close down, change their web site, become better, worse, or simply different. This guide is offered as a convenience to any prospective visitor of the city, and I reject any liability or warranty of any kind for problems, losses, or disappointment arising due to using this guide, as mentioned in my full disclaimer. Also, I of course reject any liability for information offered on external web sites to which I placed a link since these web sites are not under my control. I am not related to any of the establishments mentioned in this guide personally or professionally, nor to the city of Linz. I did not receive any kinds of benefits for listing the establishments mentioned, neither in the form of money nor in kind. This guide remains work in progress and, while I will try to keep it up to date, you may find that some information has become outdated.

Introduction

Have you every heard of Linz? Probably not. With approx. 190,000 inhabitants, Linz is the third largest city of Austria after Vienna (Wien) and Graz. Jointly with Vilnius (Lithuania), Linz will be the European Capital of Culture 2009. Traditionally, Linz has been Austria's steel city but today the air quality is actually better than in most other Austrian cities and many new museums and other attractions have been opening in the last few years.

A brief geography of Linz

Take a brief look at Google Maps.

Linz is located in the northeast quadrant of the province of Upper Austria whose capital it is. If Linz was located 25 km further east, it would be exactly halfway between Salzburg (famous for being the city of Mozart) and Vienna (Austria's federal capital).

Linz has a rectangular shape which extends approx. 10 km from north to south and approx. 5 km from west to east. Linz is situated along the river Danube, with the part of the city north of the Danube being called Urfahr (which used to be a separate city until 1919). The main street of Linz is Landstraße (literally country street or rural street) which extends approx. 1,200 metres from north to south. Hauptplatz, the city's main square and seat of the old city hall, is directly south of the Danube and just north of where Landstraße begins. (Hauptplatz and Landstraße are only separated by the very short Schmidtorstraße.) North of Hauptplatz is Nibelungenbrücke, one of two bridges which are also open to pedestrians (the other being Eisenbahnbrücke, approx. 1.33 km further east). North of Nibelungenbrücke is Hauptstraße (literally main street), the main street of Linz-Urfahr which extends approx. 800 metres from north to south.

In that sense, Hauptstraße-Nibelungenbrücke-Hauptplatz-Schmidtorstraße-Landstraße provides Linz with a mostly pedestrian north-south axis of a bit more than 2.5 km length. This north-south axis is also the best place to go shopping and to enjoy the sights of the city.

(The north-south axis in fact goes on for much longer since Wiener Straße is the extension of Landstraße towards the south and goes to the very end of Linz. However, Wiener Straße is not really interesting for tourists as it is mostly a rather unspectacular working-class neighbourhood. Also towards the north, the north-south axis continues further north, either along Leonfeldner Straße which goes to Bad Leonfelden and continues to the Czech border, or along Knabenseminarstraße, Dießenleitenweg, and Bachlbergweg, a very nice residential area but again not really interesting for tourists. In total, depending on your definition, the north-south axis may therefore be said to span across the entire city area.)

This north-south axis also has several important intersections (Kreuzung = intersection, plural Kreuzungen). Going from north to south:

The area north of Linz is hilly whereas the area south of Linz is rather plain. The part of the city east of the A7 highway, of Wiener Straße, and of Lunzer Straße is industrial, with the port as well as the steel and chemical industry. The western suburbs (such as Zaubertal) and the northern suburbs (such as Magdalena) are rather pleasant with soft hills.

Coming to Linz by plane

Linz has its own small airport, the Blue Danube Airport (LNZ) which is located in the nearby town of Hörsching, 15km southwest of the city centre of Linz. There are mostly national flights by Austrian and flights to Germany by Austrian and Lufthansa, but also to Nuremberg (Nürnberg), Palma de Mallorca, and Rhodos by Niki and, perhaps most interestingly, to London-Stansted by Ryanair. Additional destinations are served in the holiday season. The best way to get to and from the airport are the Blue Danube Airport Lines (public bus service). There is also a train connection, but it is less frequent and one has to change once.

Full international connections to the whole world are available from Vienna International Airport (VIE) in the town of Schwechat, 19km southeast of the city centre of Vienna. In terms of public transit, VIE is served by Vienna Airport Lines (public bus service, slower but cheap) and by the City Airport Train (public train service, faster but expensive). Using public transit it is possible to get from VIE to the city centre of Linz in only 2.5 hours (3 hours is perhaps more realistic when including time to buy train tickets, etc.).

Another option for inexpensive flights from within Europe is to arrive at Letisko M. R. Štefánika Bratislava (BTS) (or Airport Bratislava) in neighbouring Slovakia. Since Vienna and Bratislava are the two closest capitals in Europe, this does not add too much time. There is even public bus service from Vienna city centre to BTS by Airport Bus Bratislava, a joint venture of Austrian and Slovakian public transit companies. Total travel time by public transit from BTS to the city centre of Linz is from 4.5 hours upward.

Coming to Linz by train

Thanks to the Austrian Federal Railways, the main railway station Linz Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) enjoys good train connections to most other cities in Austria, as shown in the following table (all trains are direct):

From Linz to...Travel timePrice in EUR for a 2nd class return ticket
Graz170-190 mins67.60
Innsbruck200 mins90.80
Salzburg75-80 mins39.80
St Pölten50-70 mins39.80
Vienna (Wien)90-120 mins55.80

Taking a train to Munich (München) in Germany takes at least 180 minutes, and it is necessary to change once. Train connections from Austria to the Czech Republic are unfortunately horribly bad.

One of the greatest pleasure of travelling by train in Austria is the dining car which is included with many long-distance trains (EuroCity or ICE). I particularly recommend the Hungarian dining cars (MÁV) which are often operated on trains to St Pölten and Vienna. Austrian dining cars (ÖBB) are worse but still good, and the Czech dining cars (ČD) which are often operated on trains to Graz are unfortunately not recommended.

There are also a number of regional train lines, most importantly the Linzer Lokalbahn from Linz Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) to Neumarkt-Kallham and Peuerbach via Alkoven and Eferding, owned by the city of Linz, and the Mühlkreisbahn from Linz Mühlkreisbahnhof to Aigen-Schlägl via Ottensheim and Rohrbach, a branch line of the Austrian Federal Railways. There are many other regional connections operated by the Austrian Federal Railways from Linz Hauptbahnhof (Hbf).

Coming to Linz by bus

For regional bus connections, check out ÖBB-Postbus, the bus company of the Austrian Federal Railways.

There are also private regional bus connections to various towns southwest of Linz (including Ansfelden, Haid, and Traun) by Wilhelm Welser Traun. These bus lines all start at Hauptbahnhof but serve various stops within the city area of Linz.

Several public transit companies of surrounding towns also offer bus routes to Linz. The web site of the Upper Austrian Transit Network (OÖVV) makes it possible to search all regional public and private transit routes across Upper Austria (including ÖBB, ÖBB-Postbus, Linzer Lokalbahnen, Wilhelm Welser Traun, etc.). In fact the database used by this web site includes the entire ÖBB network, i.e. also national and international train connections.

Eurolines (a network of over 30 private and public long-distance bus companies across Europe, with the Austrian member being the private company Blaguss) operates five long-distance bus routes which cover Linz:

These bus routes are mostly used by "guest workers" from Eastern Europe and are rather inexpensive.

Coming to linz by ship

Unfortunately passenger transport on the Danube has declined notably. There are however still connections between Passau (Germany) and Vienna which stop in Linz, operated by Donau Touristik in co-operation with DDSG Blue Danube.

Coming to linz by car

Best use Google Maps. Here are some driving distances in kilometres (to get the approximate distance in miles, divide by 1.6094).

National: International:

Getting around in Linz

Google Maps has a decent coverage of Linz.

Local public transport is provided by Linz AG Linien. There are three tram lines (1, 2, 3) and many bus lines. Within the city centre (i.e., between the stops Rudolfstr. and Hauptbhf.), all three tram lines follow the same route. The tram stop Hauptbahnhof is underground. Only the designated stops can be used to board or alight. Every stop has a ticket machine with a full system map.

Current prices are EUR 0.80 for a Mini short distance trip (entry stop plus up to four subsequent stops), 1.60 for a Midi long distance trip and 3.20 for a Maxi day ticket. For four or more days it makes sense to buy a weekly ticket.

A Mini is also valid as a long distance ticket for children under the age of 15. A Midi allows to travel with up to four children under the age of 6 and is also valid as a day ticket for children below age 15. A Maxi allows travel with up to four children under the age of 15.

If you are found to travel without a valid ticket you have to pay EUR 40.

Linz AG Linien also operates the Pöstlingbergbahn, the steepest adhesion train in the world which goes up to the Pöstlingberg, a hill overlooking Linz. There are special tickets and fares sold for the Pöstlingbergbahn; normal Linz AG Linien tickets are not valid. By March 2009 the Pöstlingbergbahn is scheduled to be modernised and extended to Hauptplatz (main square).

Keep in mind that the city centre is rather small (the most interesting part of the city, between Hauptplatz and Bürgerstraße, only extends for approx. 1,200 metres from north to south), so walking is definitely the best option for trips within the city centre. If you stay in a downtown hotel you will most likely never need a bus and only rarely a tram (for going to Hauptbahnhof, for instance).

If you want to go to...

Linz also has reliable taxi service. There are two main providers, 2244 (my favourite) and 6969. All taxis are non-smoking. In the city centre it is very uncommon to wait longer than five minutes until the taxi arrives. The drivers always use the meter and do not rip tourists off. The fares within the borders of the city of Linz are standardised but do of course vary depending on traffic and the route chosen. For a trip to the airport you will typically have to pay EUR 25-30. There are also a number of taxi stands, notably on Hauptplatz and at Hauptbahnhof.

What to do in Upper Austria beyond Linz

See the web site of Tourism Upper Austria for more information, and Tiscover Upper Austria for information on hotels and restaurants and for hotel bookings.

Sports

As far as I'm aware, there are three professional sports teams in Linz, LASK Linz (football = soccer), EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz (ice hockey), and HC Linz AG (handball).

If you want to watch professional basketball you have to go to Wels, a city located 36 km southwest of Linz (population 58,000), home of WBC Kraftwerk Wels. Another option in Upper Austria are the Allianz Swans Gmunden who also play in the federal basketball league (Gmunden is a small city 70 km southwest of Linz, population 13,000).

If you want to watch professional volleyball you have to go to Enns, a small city located 27 km southeast of Linz (population 11,000), home of Cemtec super volley Enns.

Where to stay

Obviously, I am not the best person to give hotel recommendations since I only stayed in very few hotels in Linz. Here are four particularly nice hotels in a good central location:

  • Drei Mohren **** (Promenade 17): single room EUR 108, double room EUR 142, suite EUR 220-350
  • Austria Classic Hotel Wolfinger *** (Hauptplatz 19): single room EUR 68-87, double room EUR 88-126
  • Hotel Mühlviertlerhof *** (Graben 24): single room EUR 62-76, double room EUR 90-104, suite EUR 123 (for one person) or EUR 151 (for two persons)
  • Hotel zum schwarzen Bären *** (Herrenstraße 9-11): single room EUR 68-88, double room EUR 90-120

    • The city of Linz web site offers a bilingual PDF guide to all hotels and hostels. You can also search the English-language version of the hotel and hostel database.

    Eating out

    Linz has a surprisingly good selection of affordable yet excellent restaurants. Here are some of my recommendations, most of them being in the city centre:

    Restaurants listed by Gault Millau and/or Michelin (all ratings as of January 2008):

    Some other restaurants that I recommend:

    Linz also has various American fast food outlets - my favourite place is the McDonald's on Taubenmarkt right in the city centre (very busy at lunchtime). There is another McDonald's on Landstraße just south of Bürgerstraße, and a Burger King on Landstraße just north of Bürgerstraße. As far as I'm aware these are the only American fast food chains in the downtown area.

    Südbahnhofmarkt (Marktplatz, bounded by Lustenauer Straße to the North, Khevenhüllerstraße to the East, Schillerstraße to the South, and Kantstraße to the West): the biggest market in Linz; mostly food sold by Upper Austrian farmers, but also other salespeople and various small shops

    Desserts:

    Nightlife

    TBA

    Shopping for...

    Important numbers

    Fire rescue: 122 (in all of Austria)
    Police: 133 (in all of Austria)
    Ambulance service: 144 (in all of Austria)

    Use these numbers only for emergencies; for non-emergencies, such as to report a theft, contact the local police station via their normal telephone number. (Your hotel staff will certainly help you to do that.)

    Crime

    Linz, as most Austrian cities, is very safe. Crime rates are much lower than for any major U.S. city and are comparable to similar-sized cities in other parts of Western Europe, in Canada, the UK, or Australia. Nonetheless things can happen. I have not heard of pickpockets being a particular problem in Linz but this may change with the increased number of tourists which the European Capital of Culture status will bring in 2009, so common precautions should be taken. On weekend nights alcohol-fueled assaults sometimes occur, mostly in the Altstadt where downtown nightlife takes place. However, this is rather rare and can usually be prevented by using common rules of safety. Rates of gun crime are very low in international comparison. So summing up: there is absolutely no need to worry, just be cautious and use your common sense, as anywhere else.

    About country and area codes

    The country code for Austria is 43. The area code for Linz is 0732 (old) or 070 (new -- only three digits because Linz is a provincial capital). It is mainly a matter of preference which area code to use. Note that the 0732/070 area code includes some adjacent towns such as Leonding to the west of Linz. Austrian telephone numbers usually have six digits, mobile phone numbers have seven or eight digits. There are however some rural towns which still have four-digit telephone numbers, I think. One example: if you want to call a Linz telephone number from Canada or the USA, you have to dial 00 43 70 or 00 43 732, plus the Linz telephone number.

    Austrian mobile phones have separate area (or better: provider) codes including 0699 (one, will become Orange in 2008), 0650 (tele.ring), 0676 (T-Mobile Austria), and 0664 (A1). Please note that due to number portability the provider code of a mobile number does not always have to tell you the current provider of that number. If the actual provider is different from the provider code, an automated voice will tell you the current provider before the call starts (so that you can figure out how much you will have to pay).

    If you want to call other countries from Austria, you have to dial 00 plus the country code plus the area code (omitting the initial zero). One example: the country code for Germany is 49, the area code for Munich is 089. If you want to call somebody in Munich from Austria, you therefore have to dial 00 49 89 plus the Munich telephone number.

    About postal codes

    All postal codes in Austria have four digits. Those starting with a four are in Upper Austria. Linz uses three main postal codes: 4020 (city centre and "near south side"), 4030 (south of Salzburger Straße, I think), and 4040 (Urfahr, i.e. the part of the city north of the Danube). In addition to those postal codes, each post office has its own postal code. Leonding (to the west of Linz) has the postal code 4060, Traun (to the southwest of Linz) the postal code 4050.

    Some language basics

    In Upper Austria, a dialect of German is spoken. This dialect is quite different from Standard German but rather similar to the dialects spoken in Salzburg, Lower Austria, Vienna, and Bavaria. Everybody is supposed to learn Standard German in school but many people have difficulties in speaking it properly. Educated urban people are most likely to know both dialect and Standard German well whereas less educated and/or rural people are most likely to know only dialect properly. German dialects know some specific words but the most important difference to Standard German is the pronunciation which is often very different.

    There is no standardised way of writing in dialect but many people write informal emails, text messages, or even advertisements in dialect, using some more or less arbitrary transcription rules. To give one example: I go to school in Standard German is Ich gehe in die Schule (in Austria) or Ich gehe zur Schule (in Germany). One way of writing the dialect version of this brief statement would be I geh in d'Schui.

    The German language knows a few letters which don't exist in English: ä, ö, ß, and ü:

    Some more rules:

    Important words: