Linz

Situated on the northern side of the Danube, The Ars Electronica Center displays electronic art. In the CAVE, groups walk into a virtual reality room where projectors create a world that defies physics on all four walls. The museum’s first floor has a flight simulator in which a person, suspended by cables, experiences flight while wearing virtual reality goggles. On the second floor, the museum has interactive exhibits including a futuristic ping pong game with virtual water on its table. At the top of the museum, the Sky Media Loft contains a bar and coffee house where visitors can take in views of the Nibelungenbrücke.

Graben 15, Dametzstrasse, 4020, Linz, AT, Phone: +43-73-27-27-20

Kuk Hofbackerei takes diners back in time. This historic timber-framed gourmet bakery dates back to 1371 and represents the oldest surviving building front in Linz. Master baker, Fritz Rath, took over 25 years ago, and today serves up freshly baked bread, sweet cakes, and decadent pastries. The most famous menu item: the Linzer Torte. As early as 1656, recipes mention the jam filled, nut-flavored pastry, making it the oldest cake recipe in the world. Kuk Hofbackerei has its own special recipe with a mix of nuts, spices, red current jam, and secret ingredients passed down through the owner’s family for generations.

Pfarrgasse 17, 44020, Linz, AT, Phone: +43-732-78-41-10

Visitors to Linz can learn all about Upper Austria’s culture, history, and art all in one place at the Landesgalerie Linz. The museum’s cultural department contains regional archaeology, historic weapons, musical instruments, and other artifacts. In the art exhibit, visitors can admire local photography and contemporary art. The museum also has areas dedicated to the nature of the area showcasing local flora, fauna, and wildlife. The vertebrae section brings guests up close to local animals with taxidermied wolves, owls, birds of prey, and even a double-headed calf. Temporary exhibitions also pass through illuminating the region’s rich heritage.

Oö. Landesmuseum, Museumstraß 14, 4010 Linz, AT, Phone: +43-732-77-20-22-00

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

In between touring the city, travelers can stop for a quick bite at Leberkas-Pepi. The fast food restaurant specializes in the traditional leberkas sandwiches. Translated liver-cheese, leberkas has slices of cheese and liver meatloaf on a fluffy roll that tastes great when washed down with a cold draft beer. Leberkas-Pepi has different flavors of meatloaf of its menu, and patrons can expect to pay about €4 per laberkas. Open between 8 AM and 5 AM, Leberkas-Pepi serves sandwiches almost all day making it a great spot to grab a late night snack. The gift shop sells souvenirs like shirts, hats, pens, and even quirky leberkas earrings.

Rathausgasse 3, 4020, Linz, AT, Phone: +43-732-79-68-68

Dedicated to modern and contemporary art, the Lentos Art Museum represents one of the most important museums in the country. The distinct and colorful building made of glass and fair-faced concrete sits right in the middle of Linz and lights up the Danube at night. Exhibitions display works of the 19th century, classical modernity (including (Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka), and Expressionism. The museum runs hour-long guided tours in English and German open to the public with no booking required. Every weekend, children can also attend a class at the LENTOS studio. The cafe-restaurant on the west side of the ground floor gives 360 views of the city.

Ernst-Koref-Promenade 1, 4020 Linz, AT, Phone: +43-732-70-70-36-00

Nature is on display at the Linz Botanical Garden. Visitors can stroll through the garden and sip coffee while marveling at a variety of 10,000 plant species. Sitting on top of the Gugl hill, the garden divides into several themed areas including the Japanese Garden and Rosarium. The 43,000m² grounds also house five greenhouses including one dedicated to orchids and another to succulents. Another greenhouse contains Europe’s largest collection of cacti. Visitors to Linz can easily get to the Linz Botanical gardens by taking bus number 27 which goes from Taubenmarkt station every 15 minutes.

Roseggerstraße 20, 4020 Linz, AT, Phone: +43-732-70-70-18-70

Activities and Attractions for Couples:

The Linz Labyrinth Urban Guide is a trading initiative between over 30 businesses. The guide book features over 30 retailers as well as hair salons, restaurants, cafes, theaters, performance venues, and museums. Listed shops cover everything from sustainable bike stores, natural cosmetics, and eco-certified clothing labs to galleries and perfumeries. The guide has no shortage of trendy gastropubs, coffee shops, and eateries. The Theater Phoenix, Linz’s independent playhouse covers contemporary plays as well as classics. The Posthof has live music, dance, theater, and cabaret performances.

Spittelwiese, 4020 Linz, AT, Phone: +43-732-70-70-20-09

The Linzer Grottenbahn transports tourists to a world only found in dreams with fire-breathing dragons, gingerbread witches, tiny dwarves, and other mythical creatures. Guests can explore the theme park which brings famous fairytales to life. Visitors can take a ride through town on a train with a dragon that blows smoke. A cavern surrounded by dwarves has pretty colored lights on the ceiling illuminating the room. The Linzer Grottenbahn also has a miniature replica of downtown Linz. Even adults can have a nice time wandering through the small town while reading about the history of famous fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood.

Am Pöstlingberg 16, 4040 Linz, AT, Phone: +43-732-34-00-75-06

The historic Hauptplatz (The Main Square) of Linz has remained a part of the city for hundreds of years. Dating back to the 13th century, the 13,200 m2 open square represents one of the largest urban spaces in Europe. Visitors can admire the square’s Trinity Column. Constructed in 1723, the baroque-style monument made of solid marble glorifies the Holy Trinity in a few ways by protecting the guilds, the emperor, and the citizens of Linz from three disasters: war, fire, and plague. Sculptures of patron saints Sebastian, Florian, and Carlo Borromeo decorate the monument’s column. The Main Square also hosts a market on Fridays.

Main Square and the City Center, Hauptplatz 1, 4020 Linz (Old Town Hall), AT, Phone: +43-732-70-70-20-09

The Voestalpine Museum of Contemporary History is devoted to the period between 1938 and 1945 in commemoration of the forced laborers under the Nazi regime in Linz. During those years, foreigners, concentration camp prisoners, and prisoners of war accounted for one-third of employed people in the Upper Austria region. The museum recounts the inhumane treatment of these people through photographs, multi-media stations, audio guides, and 38,000 personnel files and salary slips of those forced to work under the Nazis. The museum has free admission and stays open Monday through Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM.

Hauptplatz 1, 4020 Linz, AT, Phone: +43-732-70-70-20-09