Our Linz Tour

Hello. In today's post I'd like to tell you about my visit to the city of Linz. I've passed through Linz many times before, but this was the first time I decided to visit the city. There are very interesting buildings here and overall, it's a fascinating city. It's the third-largest city in Austria. And it's also the capital of Upper Austria.

We visited the old town. There are many old houses in Linz, and since the city wasn't bombed during the war, we can see original old houses here, mostly unrestored. So, we knew we were in for a great adventure. Our first stop was St. Mary's Church, which is the largest church in Austria. It's a wonderful place. While most of Linz's churches are representatives of the valuable Baroque style, Neuer Dom is an elegantly built Gothic structure with great affection. When you see such stunning Gothic architecture, you don't think of it as being from the 19th or 20th century; you'd put it on the list of the best French, German, Flemish or Dutch Gothic buildings.

People call it Neuer Dom or the new cathedral or Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom. It began construction in 1855 under Archbishop Rudiger and it was completed between 1862 and 1924. I enjoy looking at old photos. We were lucky because tourists were allowed inside. As we entered the cathedral, it was understood that only access to the main altar was closed off, which gave us the opportunity to get to know the wonderful stained glass group that made Neuer Dom famous.

The stained glass windows here are incredibly beautiful. They're not just a collection of magnificent works of art. Among them, there are also significant pieces depicting the history of Linz and the construction of the cathedral. It felt as if the authors of books written about the cathedral had conspired beforehand and placed the construction period a few centuries ago, because before our eyes, there was the majesty of Gothic architecture. And the true age of the cathedral only became apparent when examining the participants in certain events depicted in some stained glass windows.

The theme of the stained glass windows in Neuer Dom is not only historical but also religious, mostly featuring scenes from the life of Mary.

This is the burial place of Bishop Franz Josef Rudiger, who initiated the construction of this church. Every detail, from the small chairs to the grand organ, is very impressive. Besides the rich collection of stained glass, we also discovered a solid accumulation of excellent mosaics. We wandered around this church for about an hour and were in awe. Everyone who has the opportunity to come here should visit Linz; it's a sight to behold, folks. We left the church with complete enthusiasm and excitement.

We then started walking towards the city center. As we passed through Herrenstraße, we admired the impressive buildings.

We passed by Palais Zeppenfeld, a complex of buildings located next to the cathedral. It was built in 1714 by Johann Michael Prunner as "Palais Zeppenfeld" and later changed hands between different owners, eventually being converted into a building used for the administrative needs of the cathedral. Today, Dompfarrhof belongs to an organization that manages the administrative affairs of the cathedral.

We stopped by a bakery on our way. They were selling famous Linzer tortes and various sweets. I always make Linzer torte at home, but I had never bought the original before. It's one of the oldest pastries in the world. You've probably seen this lattice-topped pastry before. Since its discovery dates back quite far, it naturally pales in comparison to today's carbohydrate-heavy desserts. However it's still the symbol pastry of Linz, Austria and everyone who comes here should try it. Also, in my opinion, this delicious pastry goes much better with pure Ceylon tea than with coffee.

Then we headed towards the old town area of Linz and passed by a house built in 1564. This building, called Landhaus, was once an old monastery and later used as the provincial parliament. It has continued to be the center of provincial politics to this day. The impressive structure of Landhaus reflects the power the provincial parliament once held.

At the beginning of the Old Town, we came across a tea salon. As a tea lover, I watched the samovar and other beautiful details in the window display with interest.

Those were some beautiful houses. Look at this one, it's been here since 1507.

Later, we reached the main square of Linz, and I was very impressed by the trams. The ticket prices are as follows: €12 for a round trip, €6 for a one-way trip.

Here's another impressive structure: the Feichtinger-Haus. This building, which took its present form in 1686, has a stone statue of Mary on it.

In the middle of Hauptplatz stands an 18th-century plague column, Dreifaltigkeitssäule. The city of Linz narrowly survived the last major plague epidemic in Central Europe. Similarly, it had escaped invasion by foreign soldiers during the Turkish Wars and the War of the Spanish Succession, as well as the subsequent threat of a major fire. Therefore, the Emperor, provincial parliament, and the people commissioned the Dreifaltigkeitssäule, a 55-foot-high column. It reminded me a bit of Holy Trinity Square in Budapest.

All the houses here are very impressive. We were curious and took a look at house prices :)

Our next stop was the church known as Alter Dom. It looked quite simple from the outside. However upon entering, we saw the full splendor of the Baroque style, with its pink marble, beautiful columns, sculptures and impressive altar. The cathedral housed paintings by the great Italian artist Bellucci. There was also an organ inside the cathedral, which was being played during our visit. Organ music concerts and the annual Bruckner Organist Festival are also held here. The cathedral is located close to Linz's main square.

There were many more places to visit, but we headed towards the station, saying "until next time." It was a five-hour tour and discovering Linz was very enjoyable.