Linz: These are the 10 most beautiful sights

Linz is located near the border triangle of Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic and is known as an industrial city on the Danube. But appearances are deceptive: Austria's third-largest city has long since shed its gray image.

Today, Linz represents an exciting mix of history, industrial architecture, and a young, alternative flair. We'll tell you which attractions you absolutely shouldn't miss during your visit to Linz.

The heart of the city is Linz's baroque main square. It was laid out around 1230 and is now 219 meters long and 60 meters wide. With an area of ​​13,200 square meters, the main square is one of the largest enclosed squares in Austria. It is surrounded by magnificent baroque buildings, including the Old Town Hall, the Linz University of Art and Design, and the Feichtinger House with its famous carillon.

Record in Linz: The main square is one of the largest rebuilt squares in Austria.

Source: IMAGO/Daniel Scharinger

In the center of the main square stands the 20-meter-high white marble Trinity Column, completed in 1723. The structure was erected in gratitude for surviving disasters and as protection against fire, war, and plague. A weekly market, the farmers' market, is held every Friday morning in the main square, and a flea market is held every Saturday morning.

Linz Castle sits enthroned on a hill above the old town district on the Danube. First mentioned in 799, it served for a long time as the residence of emperors and counts, and was later used as a hospital and barracks. Today, the historic building houses the Castle Museum and two restaurants.

The Castle Museum is now located in Linz Castle in Upper Austria.

Source: IMAGO/Harald Dostal

The museum covers the natural, cultural, and technological history of Upper Austria. The building has been remodeled and is now a blend of historical and modern architecture. The south wing, which burned down in 1800, received a new steel and glass building in 2009. In 2025, the museum expanded its exhibition spaces and opened three new White Cubes for art and culture.

Linz's Mariendom (St. Mary's Cathedral), Austria's largest church, stands enthroned on Herrenstrasse. Also known as the "New Cathedral," the church seats 20,000 people. The magnificent building was completed in 1924 – after 62 years of construction. Particularly noteworthy are the stained-glass windows, such as the "Linzer Window" and the "Kaiser Window," the sacred space, and the 15-meter-high interior gallery, which offers a view of the church interior and is accessible during guided tours.

Impressive: St. Mary's Cathedral in Linz is the largest church in Austria.

Source: IMAGO/Dreamstime

High above lies another record: The stone balcony of St. Mary's Cathedral is the highest viewing point from any church in Austria. Those who climb the 633 steps at a height of 112 meters are rewarded with a 360-degree panoramic view – of Linz, the Danube, and, in good weather, as far as the Salzkammergut and the Ötscher Mountains.

Linz's local mountain is not only a top tourist attraction, but also the best place to experience a stunning panorama. The Pöstlingberg rises 539 meters above the left bank of the Danube. The Pöstlingbergbahn, Austria's steepest adhesion cable car, takes you up to the top. It starts at Linz's main square.

Famous as Linz’s local mountain: the Pöstlingberg with the Pöstlingberg Church.

Source: IMAGO/Harald Dostal

At the top, you'll find not only the viewing platform, but also the Baroque pilgrimage basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows, the landmark of the state capital, and the Linz Grottenbahn, a popular family attraction. It takes you through a world of dwarves, forest animals, and fairy tales. In the basement, various scenes from famous fairy tales are depicted in life-size statues.

The modern and visionary side of Linz is reflected in the Linz Music Theatre at the Volksgarten. It opened only in 2013 and is considered one of the most modern opera houses in Europe. British architect Terry Pawson designed the building, whose façade is structured by clear lines, reminiscent of a curtain stretching around three sides of the building.

The music theater offers outstanding acoustics, state-of-the-art technology, and multimedia productions of opera, ballet, musicals, and operetta. Outside of performances, those interested can gain a hands-on insight into the theater's history in the Sound Foyer and explore the interactive experience created in collaboration with the Ars Electronica Futurelab.

The Ars Electronica Center is a defining feature of the city of Linz. The striking building, located directly on the Danube River, opened in 1996 and aims to make the technologies of future generations tangible in the present. In the "Museum of the Future," everything revolves around looking ahead.

The Ars Electronica Center in Linz is known as the “Museum of the Future”.

Source: IMAGO/imagebroker

Impressive exhibitions on the topics of art, technology, and society are on display. Visitors can not only view the exhibits but also participate interactively: train self-driving cars, program robots, or watch artificial intelligence "think."

Meanwhile, everything revolves around art at the Lentos Art Museum, which is also located directly on the Danube. The focus is on contemporary works of art – from classical modernism to expressionism to current contemporary art. The name is derived from the Celtic word "lentos," meaning "flexible, curved," which was likely the original name for Linz, as the Danube flows in a curve through the eastern part of the city.

The Lentos Art Museum is located on the banks of the Danube and houses works of contemporary art.

Source: IMAGO/Daniel Scharinger

The building itself, with its modern, transparent glass facade, is impressive. At night, it's colorfully illuminated: 40,000 LEDs create a diverse array of colors. Also great is the "Cubus," a restaurant in the building that transforms into a bar in the evenings, offering stunning views of the Danube and the city.

The Lentos Art Museum is located in the Danube Park, which stretches between the Nibelungen Bridge and the Voest Bridge on the southern bank of the Danube. The park sees itself as a cultural space. Large-format sculptures from the "forum metall" are on display. These are works from an exhibition held on the Danube in 1977. Twelve large-scale sculptures by artists from seven nations were installed in the park.

Open-air events take place regularly in the Danube Park, with the "Linz Sound Clouds" in the fall being particularly popular. The Brucknerhaus is also located in the Danube Park. Located directly on the river, this concert hall has unique acoustics and offers concerts in the fields of classical, jazz, orchestral, and world music.

Linz's unique Mural Harbor showcases the city's colorful potential. This is Europe's largest graffiti gallery. Since 2014, more than 300 graffiti works by artists from around 30 nations have adorned the facades of old industrial buildings and house walls in Linz's harbor.

Wide view of the Danube and the colorful street art in the Mural Harbour in Linz harbor.

Source: imago images / Eibner Europe

During a guided tour, you can explore the various works of art with an expert guide and even try your hand at spray painting. Please note: Linz Harbor is a privately owned business. Therefore, Mural Harbor can only be visited with a guide. There are two options for this: via the "Mural Walk" (a guided walk including a graffiti crash course) or via the "Mural Boat" (a guided boat tour including a graffiti crash course).

The most important sights in Linz cannot be listed without taking a look at the city's industrial history. Therefore, a visit to the "Voestalpine Steel World" is definitely on the agenda. Voestalpine is a globally active Austrian steel and technology group.

The multimedia and interactive exhibition showcases the work behind the Austrian company. It showcases state-of-the-art technologies and the innovative manufacturing process of Linz steel, right up to the finished product. Visitors can also take a factory tour that takes them through three facilities: Blast Furnace A, the hot rolling mill, and blank production. Please note: The "Voestalpine Steel World" is closed until the end of 2025 for renovations, but guided tours of the plant are still available.

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