# Linz

Linz (/lɪnts/ LINTS, German: ; Czech: Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, 30 km (19 mi) south of the border with the Czech Republic. As of 1 January 2024, the city has a population of 212,538. It is the 7th largest of all cities on the Danube river.

## History

Linz originated as a Roman fort named Lentia, established in the first century. The name reflects its location at a bend in the Danube (Celtic root lentos = "bendable"). This strategic position on the river made it the first Roman fort in the Noricum region, protecting a vital transportation route.
The name "Linz" in its present form was first documented in 799.
Linz was mentioned as a fortified city in 1236 and was granted city rights in 1324.
Johannes Kepler spent several years of his life in the city teaching mathematics. On 15 May 1618 he discovered Kepler's laws of planetary motion. The local public university Johannes Kepler University Linz is named for him.
The Oeconomische Encyclopädie (also simply known as the Krünitz), with the entry about Linz being written around 1800, describes the city as well built and fortified and its economy as growing, partially because of its location on the Danube and the connection to routes to Hungary and Vienna. When written, the city had a population of 16-17 thousand. Major industries were the productions of gunpowder, iron, steel, salt, firewood and predominantly, the wool industry:
A wool manufactuary, established in 1672, was the biggest in then-Austria, or rather, the Austrian states. It was nationalized in 1754. Plans, made in 1770, of selling it to a tradesman were canceled. Although it kept production going, its golden era was over.
When the Krünitz entry was written, the manufactuary had a yearly revenue of 1.5 million Gulden and was generating a hundred thousand in profit and was employing around 30 thousand people.
Anton Bruckner spent the years between 1855 and 1868 working as a local composer and organist in the Old Cathedral, Linz. The Brucknerhaus is named for him.
Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn (an Austrian town near the German border) and moved to Linz during his childhood. The notorious Holocaust bureaucrat Adolf Eichmann also spent his youth in Linz. Until the end of his life, Hitler considered Linz to be his hometown. Hitler effected the founding of the Bruckner Symphony Orchestra, which began presenting concerts in autumn 1943. His plan for one of the bell towers in Linz to play a theme from Bruckner's Fourth Symphony never came to pass.
During World War II Linz was a giant industrial complex in support of the Nazi war effort. Hermann Göring supervised the construction of the Voest complex, ultimately a gigantic construction site built by slave labour. The Mauthausen concentration camp was established to the east of Linz, but three Mauthausen sub-camps were within the Voest complex.
In addition to an ordnance depot Linz had a benzol plant which was bombed during the Oil Campaign of World War II. The city's confrontation with its Nazi past resulted in the renaming of many streets. In 1945, immediately after the end of the Nazi dictatorship, 39 streets in Linz were renamed, but from 1946 to 1987, only two streets were renamed. However, since 1988, 17 new traffic areas were named after victims of National Socialism or resistance fighters.

## Economy

Linz is one of the main economic centres of Austria. Voestalpine is a large technology and capital goods group, founded as the "Reichswerke Hermann Göring" during World War II. It is now known for basic oxygen steelmaking technique. The former "Chemie Linz" chemical group has been split up into several companies.
The Meeting Industry Report Austria (mira) ranks Linz as the third most important destination for congresses in Austria, with a share of 7.4 percent in the total number of congresses, conferences and seminars held in Austria. Linz has more than 60 congress and event venues. With the Blue Meeting concept, the local tourism association has developed a conference format which focuses on individual needs of participants and adapts to the idea of green meetings, therefore supporting waste minimisation, energy efficiency, climate-neutral travel, as well as regional added value.

### Donau-Harbor

Furthermore, due to the fact that one of the four Donau-Harbors (Donauhäfen) in Austria is located in Linz, it constitutes an attractive location in regards to logistic and trading enterprises. Manufacturing plants can be found along the waterfront. The economic importance of Linz was founded over centuries in trade. Large industrial enterprises are still located in Linz nowadays. Important examples are the Voestalpine AG.

### Shopping

Thirteen shopping malls can be found in Linz, three of which are situated in the city centre. Shopping centres include: Arkade, Atrium City Center, Shopping Mall Auwiesen, Shopping Mall Biesenfeld, Shopping Mall Industriezeile, Shopping Mall Kleinmünchen, Shopping Mall Muldenstraße, EuroCenter Oed, Shopping Mall Wegscheid, Infra Center, Lentia City, Passage, and PRO-Kaufland.
According to a study by Infrapool in Oktober 2010, the Linzer Landstraße is the busiest shopping street outside of Vienna. The weekly frequency is noted between 240,500 (Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.) and 228,400 (8 a.m. until 6 p.m.) passers-by, which is the second highest value – only in 2005 more passers-by were detected.

### Markets

There are eleven farmer's markets as well as one weekly flea market, and two Christmas markets in Linz. One of these markets, the "Urfahraner Markt", takes place in spring and fall every year. Furthermore, there are annually Christmas and New Year's Markets. The aim of the market administration is to provide the population with a wide range of products, as well as operating the markets in an economical, suitable and customer oriented manner. Additionally, the annual market called "Linzer Marktfrühling" sets further accents and lures new customers with attractive offers.

## Transport

Linz Airport lies about 14 km (8.7 mi) southwest of the town centre, in the municipality of Hörsching. The airport can be reached easily via federal highways B139 and B1. The bus line 601 connects the airport within 20 minutes with the centre of Linz. There is also a free shuttle service from Hörsching railway station. Direct flights include Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Vienna with additional seasonal routes added during the summer and winter months, like for example Mallorca, Ibiza, Tenerife, several Greek islands (like Kos, Rhodes, Crete or Corfu) or Hurghada. Ryanair also flies to London Stansted Airport.
The city also has a central railway station (German: Hauptbahnhof) on Austria's main rail axis, the West railway, linking Vienna with western Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The Linz central station has been awarded eight times (from 2005 to 2011 and 2014) by Austrian Traffic Club as the most beautiful train station in Austria.
Local public transport comprises the city tram network, the city trolleybus network and the city bus network, all operated by the Linz Linien division of Linz AG. The city tram network includes the Pöstlingbergbahn, a steeply graded tramway which climbs a small mountain at the northwest edge of the town.

## Population

The urban area includes (parts of) 13 other municipalities with together 271,000 inhabitants. Linz is also part of the Linz-Wels-Steyr metropolitan area of Upper Austria, home to around one third of the state's population (460,000 people) and second-largest urban area in Austria.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1869 | 49,635 | — |
| 1880 | 56,569 | +14.0% |
| 1890 | 65,090 | +15.1% |
| 1900 | 83,356 | +28.1% |
| 1910 | 97,852 | +17.4% |
| 1923 | 107,463 | +9.8% |
| 1934 | 115,338 | +7.3% |
| 1939 | 128,177 | +11.1% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1951 | 184,685 | +44.1% |
| 1961 | 195,978 | +6.1% |
| 1971 | 204,889 | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 199,910 | −2.4% |
| 1991 | 203,044 | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 183,504 | −9.6% |
| 2011 | 189,889 | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 206,853 | +8.9% |
Source: Censuses :
Largest groups of foreign residents :
| Nationality | Population (1 January 2022) |
| Romania | 6,049 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5,505 |
| Turkey | 4,072 |
| Germany | 3,725 |
| Croatia | 3,634 |
| Afghanistan | 2,746 |
| Syria | 2,650 |
| Kosovo | 2,608 |
| Hungary | 2,581 |
| Serbia | 2,376 |
| North Macedonia | 1,501 |
| Russia | 1,370 |

## Statistical Districts

Since January 2014 the city has been divided into 16 statistical districts:
| No. | District | Inhabitants | Area in ha |
| 1. | Innere Stadt [de] | 24,785 | 278.9 |
| 2. | Urfahr [de] | 23,581 | 426.8 |
| 3. | Pöstlingberg | 4,527 | 851.1 |
| 4. | St. Magdalena [de] | 11,890 | 655.3 |
| 5. | Dornach-Auhof [de] | 7,283 | 682.6 |
| 6. | Kaplanhof [de] | 9,753 | 243.2 |
| 7. | Franckviertel [de] | 7,216 | 120.7 |
| 8. | Bulgariplatz [de] | 14,993 | 260.3 |
| 9. | Froschberg [de] | 11,654 | 452.8 |
| 10. | Bindermichl-Keferfeld [de] | 19,875 | 412.0 |
| 11. | Spallerhof [de] | 12,021 | 297.1 |
| 12. | Neue Heimat [de] | 13,095 | 413.2 |
| 13. | Kleinmünchen-Auwiesen [de] | 22,209 | 645.1 |
| 14. | Industriegebiet-Hafen [de] | 138 | 1,277.4 |
| 15. | Ebelsberg [de] | 10,763 | 1,291.2 |
| 16. | Pichling [de] | 7,812 | 1,290.0 |
Before 2014 Linz was divided into nine districts and 36 statistical quarters. They were:
* Ebelsberg
* Innenstadt: Altstadtviertel, Rathausviertel, Kaplanhofviertel, Neustadtviertel, Volksgartenviertel, Römerberg-Margarethen
* Kleinmünchen: Kleinmünchen, Neue Welt, Scharlinz, Bergern, Neue Heimat, Wegscheid, Schörgenhub
* Lustenau: Makartviertel, Franckviertel, Hafenviertel
* Pöstlingberg: Pöstlingberg, Bachl-Gründberg
* St. Magdalena: St. Magdalena, Katzbach, Elmberg
* St. Peter
* Urfahr: Alt-Urfahr, Heilham, Hartmayrsiedlung, Harbachsiedlung, Karlhofsiedlung, Auberg
* Waldegg: Freinberg, Froschberg, Keferfeld, Bindermichl, Spallerhof, Wankmüllerhofviertel, Andreas-Hofer-Platz-Viertel

## Climate

Linz has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb), with warm summers and quite cold winters.
Climate data for Linz (1991–2020, extremes 1939–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) | 18.6 (65.5) | 24.4 (75.9) | 29.8 (85.6) | 33.1 (91.6) | 35.4 (95.7) | 37.4 (99.3) | 37.8 (100.0) | 34.9 (94.8) | 26.1 (79.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 14.8 (58.6) | 37.8 (100.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) | 5.8 (42.4) | 10.4 (50.7) | 16.7 (62.1) | 20.2 (68.4) | 24.3 (75.7) | 25.2 (77.4) | 24.9 (76.8) | 20.2 (68.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 8.1 (46.6) | 3.5 (38.3) | 14.7 (58.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.5 (32.9) | 2.2 (36.0) | 6.6 (43.9) | 11.6 (52.9) | 15.9 (60.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.9 (69.6) | 20.6 (69.1) | 15.9 (60.6) | 10.8 (51.4) | 5.6 (42.1) | 1.5 (34.7) | 10.9 (51.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.8 (28.8) | −1.1 (30.0) | 2.3 (36.1) | 6.4 (43.5) | 10.4 (50.7) | 14.2 (57.6) | 15.2 (59.4) | 15.0 (59.0) | 11.5 (52.7) | 7.0 (44.6) | 3.0 (37.4) | −0.7 (30.7) | 6.8 (44.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −30.0 (−22.0) | −26.0 (−14.8) | −22.7 (−8.9) | −4.0 (24.8) | −2.3 (27.9) | 0.7 (33.3) | 5.7 (42.3) | 4.9 (40.8) | −1.1 (30.0) | −6.5 (20.3) | −14.5 (5.9) | −27.2 (−17.0) | −30.0 (−22.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 56.6 (2.23) | 48.5 (1.91) | 65.8 (2.59) | 51.3 (2.02) | 88.9 (3.50) | 89.2 (3.51) | 105.1 (4.14) | 95.3 (3.75) | 69.4 (2.73) | 58.5 (2.30) | 54.6 (2.15) | 56.5 (2.22) | 839.7 (33.06) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 18 (7.1) | 17 (6.7) | 7 (2.8) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 5 (2.0) | 14 (5.5) | 61 (24) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 10.0 | 9.0 | 10.1 | 8.1 | 11.2 | 10.8 | 12.3 | 10.1 | 9.3 | 8.9 | 9.3 | 10.9 | 120.0 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 14:00) | 77.9 | 69.1 | 59.8 | 52.5 | 53.9 | 55.6 | 54.9 | 55.2 | 61.4 | 68.3 | 77.2 | 80.6 | 63.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 49.3 | 93.5 | 119.3 | 171.4 | 234.7 | 222.6 | 238.6 | 236.2 | 172.6 | 110.3 | 49.2 | 43.4 | 1,741.1 |
| Percentage possible sunshine | 20.2 | 36.0 | 35.5 | 46.4 | 54.9 | 51.0 | 53.8 | 57.0 | 49.8 | 37.4 | 20.2 | 18.6 | 40.1 |
| Source: Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (snow 1981–2010, sun 1971–2000) ||||||||||||||

## Tourism

In 2018, Germans were the most frequent guests from other countries, followed by tourists from China (including Hong Kong and Macao), making Italians 3rd in comparison with the years before – the ranking is nearly equal to the overnight stays ranking which is listed in the following. Some restaurants and cafés are closed on Sundays.
Overnight stay :
| Rank | State | Number of overnight stays |
| 1. | Germany | 170,518 |
| 2. | Italy | 24,534 |
| 3. | China | 23,256 |
| 4. | Switzerland, Liechtenstein | 17,063 |
| 5. | United States | 13,800 |
| 6. | United Kingdom | 12,414 |
| 7. | Netherlands | 11,409 |
| 8. | France | 10,984 |
| 9. | Czech Republic | 10,749 |
| 10. | Hungary | 9,240 |

## Destinations of interest

The main street "Landstraße" leads from the "Blumauerplatz" to "Taubenmarkt" (Pigeonmarket) near the main square. The main square (built in 1230), with an area of 13,200 m$^2$ (142,000 sq ft), is one of the largest converted squares in Europe. In the middle of the main square the high "Pestsäule" ("plague column", also known as "Dreifaltigkeitssäule" (Dreifaltigkeit means Holy Trinity)) was built to remember the people who died in the plague epidemics. It was designed by Antonio Beduzzi in 1713, and was finished in 1723.
Around the main square are many historically relevant and architecturally interesting houses, such as the Old Town Hall, the Feichtinger House with its carillon, which changes the melody depending on the season, the Kirchmayr House, the Schmidtberger House or the bridgehead buildings, which house a part of the Linz Art University.
West of the main square there is the old quarter with many other historic buildings, such as Renaissance houses or older houses with a baroque face.
Near the Schloss/castle, being the former residence of emperor Friedrich the III—the oldest Austrian church is located: Sankt/Saint Martins church. It was built during early medieval Carolingian times.
* St. Mary's Cathedral (Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom), Roman Catholic, in Gothic-Revival style. With a total height of 134.8 m (442 ft), the cathedral is the tallest church in Austria. Constructed in the years of 1862 and 1924, it is fully built of sandstone with unfinished front details.
* Mozarthaus is the house, dating to the end of the 16th century, where the famous Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed the "Linz" Symphony and "Linz" Sonata during a three-day stay there in November 1783. Today, the exterior and inner courtyard of the house can be visited, but not the interior.
* Pöstlingberg-Kirche: pilgrimage church on the Pöstlingberg hill. The basilica is the city's landmark and was built from 1738 until 1774, located on 537m sea level.
* Pöstlingbergbahn is the steepest mountain rail in the world which was built in 1898 and operates gear-wheel free (functional grip between wheel and rail: gradient of 10.5%)
* Linzer Grottenbahn: A grotto railway is based up on the hill of Pöstling
* Brucknerhaus: the concert and congress house located on the Donaulände was first opened in 1973 and is venue of the Brucknerfest since 1974. It is named after the composer Anton Bruckner, who was born in Ansfelden, a small town next to Linz. The modern Concert Hall owes its unique acoustics to its wood paneling. The Great Hall of the Bruckner House, also called Brucknersaal, is the architectural jewel hosting an organ consisting of more than 4,200 pipes and 51 registers. The spacious stage in particular was designed for 220 performers. In 2017 the life and works of Anton Bruckner were the focus of the Bruckner Festival held under the motto "Bruckner elementar". Bruckner's works were the focus of the festival presented by national and international artists.
* Gugl Stadium, is home to the LASK (Linzer Athletik Sport Klub), which is claimed to be the third oldest football club in Austria.
* Linzer Landestheater
* Kremsmünsterer Haus: is to find at the "Alter Markt", located in the inner city of Linz where, as legends say, emperor Friedrich III. had died.
* Landhaus: The country house was built in the 16th century and is the headquarters of the governor, the upper Austrian parliament and the government of upper Austria. Johannes Kepler used to teach here for more than 14 years.

## Architecture

As many central European cities, the cityscape of Linz is characterised by small and several sacred buildings. The Mariä Empfängnis Dom or New Cathedral is the biggest church in Austria, not by height (it is roughly 2 metres shorter than the St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) in Vienna), but by capacity.
The historic centre is characterised by its medieval architectural style, whereas in those parts of the city that border with the historic centre the architecture is of neoclassical, neo-baroque and neo-renaissance styles. Even further from the historic centre there are living areas, such as Franckviertel, Froschberg, Bindermichl and Kleinmünchen southern of the Danube and Alt-Urfahr northern of the Danube. These areas are where residential buildings can be found that are still referred to as "Hitlerbauten" or "Hitler buildings", because they were built during the interwar period and the time of Nazi dictatorship. The residential area called Gugl became a well liked living area among the wealthy at around 1900, which is why there are numerous villas still there today.
Amongst the newer buildings is the Linz Hauptbahnhof station, which was designed by Wilhelm Holzbauer and added the Terminal Tower skyscraper as part of a mixed-use complex. Between 2005 und 2011 it was voted Austria's most beautiful railway station seven times in a row by the Verkehrsclub Österreich. The Wissensturm ("Tower of knowledge") with a height of about 63 metres, houses the public library and the Volkshochschule, an adult education centre. It was designed by Franz Kneidinger and Heinz Stögmüller and opened in 2007. Lentos Art Museum, which opened in 2003, was designed by Zürich-based architects Weber & Hofer and the Musiktheater (music theatre), which opened in 2013, was designed by Terry Pawson.

## Culture

The city is now home to a vibrant music and arts scene that is well-funded by the city and the state of Upper Austria. Between Lentos Art Museum and the "Brucknerhaus", is the "Donaulände", which is also referred to as "Kulturmeile" ("culture mile"). This is a park alongside the river, which is used mainly by young people to relax and meet in summer. It is also used for the Ars Electronica Festival in early September and the "Stream Festival", which takes place annually. In June, July and August the "Musikpavillon" is placed in the park where musical groups of different styles perform on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays free of charge.
Linz has other culture institutions, such as the Posthof, which is near the harbour, and the Stadtwerkstatt, which is by the river Danube. The Pflasterspektakel, an international street art festival, takes place each year in July in and around the Landstraße and the main square. Linz was the European Capital of Culture in 2009, along with Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
The aim is to maintain and represent the cultural diversity.
The Ars Electronica Center can be considered as the centre of media art and attracts every year during its festival national and international guests to Linz.
The latest project developed by Linz in the context of the City of Media Arts project is the Valie Export Center, which is located in the Tabakfabrik (tobacco factory) and carried out in cooperation with the University of Art and Design Linz. It serves as an international research hub for media and performance art. Beyond that, it comprises the legacy as well as the archives of the most renowned media artist coming from Linz, Valie Export, who has received numerous national as well as international prizes. Along with the Ars Electronica archives, Linz hosts two internationally renowned archives for media art.
Since 2009, the Open Commons Linz initiative has made available a wide variety of "free" data: geo-data and statistical information having to do with city life, local government, recreation and tourism. An associated effort is the Hotspot initiative that has installed 202 hotspots providing free WLAN, as well as Public Server, the municipal cloud available to all citizens registered in Linz. Linz is thus at the forefront in Europe when it comes to universal access to open data.
Linz houses 43 galleries and exhibit rooms, 13 cultural centres, one club centre, as well as four educational institutes.

### Museums

* The Lentos (built 2003) is a modern art gallery, presenting art from the 20th and 21st centuries. It is situated on the south banks of the river Danube. The building can be illuminated at night from the inside with blue, pink, red and violet, due to its plastic casing.
* Ars Electronica Center (AEC) (also called museum of the future) is a museum and research facility on the north bank of the Danube (in the Urfahr district), across the river from the Hauptplatz (main square). The AEC is a significant world centre for new media arts, attracting a large gathering of technologically oriented artists every year for the Ars Electronica Festival. The AEC museum is home to the Deep Space 8K, which offers a unique Ars Electronica Centervirtual world with wall and floor projections (each 16 by 9 m [52 by 30 ft]), laser tracking and 3-D animations.
* City Museum Nordico houses an art collection as well as a historical and an archeological collection, all of which relate to the city of Linz. About 16,000 people visited the museum in 2013.
* Upper Austrian Regional Museum (Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum) has three main locations that focus on different aspects of the regional history: The Landesgalerie (regional gallery) exhibits modern and contemporary art, the Schlossmuseum houses archeological findings all of which retrace Upper Austria's cultural history whereas the aim of the Biologiezentrum Linz-Dornach (centre of biology) is to retrace the region's natural history with an exhibition of about 16 million objects (which makes it the second biggest museum for natural history in Austria).
* At the headquarters of the Upper Austrian art association (Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein) in the Ursulinenhof in Linz there are regular exhibitions of contemporary art.
* Upper Austrian museum of literature (Oberösterrreischisches Literaturmuseum), the Adalbert Stifter Institute for literature and linguistics and the Upper Austrian house of literature (Oberösterreichisches Literaturhaus) all are situated in the StifterHaus, where Austrian writer, painter and educationalist Adalbert Stifter lived from 1848 to his death in 1868.
* Upper Austrian forum for architecture (Architekturforum Oberösterreich) in the house of architecture (Haus der Architektur) attracts about 6,000 visitors annually. The forum organises lectures, exhibitions, conferences and competitions.

### Music

The Brucknerhaus, a famous concert hall in Linz is named after Anton Bruckner. It is situated just some 200 metres away from the "Lentos". It is home to the "Bruckner Orchestra", and is frequently used for concerts, as well as balls and other events. It is also the venue of the "Linz Fest" which takes place annually in May as well as one of the venues during the Ars Electronica Festival in early September. In June, July and August the "Musikpavillon" is placed in the park where musical groups of different styles perform on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays free of charge.
The Musiktheater (music theatre) was opened in April 2013 and is considered to be one of the most modern opera houses in Europe. It offers five stages of varying sizes; the big hall ("Großer Saal") with 1,200 seats, the BlackBox with up to 270 seats, the BlackBoxLounge with up to 150 seats, the orchestra hall ("Orchestersaal") with up to 200 seats and another stage in the foyer ("FoyerBühne"). Performances at the Musiktheater include operas and typically Austrian operettas, ballets and musicals.
The ensemble of the Landestheater (regional theatre) Linz used to perform musical productions as well as theatre productions at a venue located on the "Promenade" in the inner city of Linz (this venue is still referred to simply as "Landestheater"). Since the opening of the new Musiktheater, only theatre performances take place at the "Promenade" venue, whereas musical productions are shown in the Musiktheater. The Landestheater Linz is especially renowned for its theatre for young audiences called u\hof:.
The Posthof is one of the biggest event centres in Linz with three rooms offering up to 630 seats or standing room for about 1,200 people respectively in the big hall. The programme focuses on contemporary art and covers concerts, theatre, cabaret, dance and literature. Artists from Linz are regularly invited to improve the local cultural scene; e.g. bands from Linz get the opportunity to play as pre-bands alongside nationally and internationally known artists. Altogether a total of about 250 events take place at the Posthof each year with a total number of visitors of about 80.000.
The Stadtwerkstatt is an independent association for culture and was founded in 1979. Its headquarters is located in the Urfahr district on the north bank of the Danube close to the Ars Electronica Centre and serves as venue for music events and other artistic and cultural activities. Situated at the same address is the Stadtwerkstatt's own Café Strom café/bar.

### Cinema

The history of cinema and film begins in Linz in September 1896, when, as part of a variety programme, a film programme was shown in "Roithner's vaudeville" for the first time in Upper Austria. Until the next screening of a film it took until 20 March 1897, when Johann Bläser's travelling cinema guested in the "Hotel of the Golden Ship".
Until the opening of the first cinemas with regular programme, it took till the end of the year 1908. At that time, Karl Lifka opened his "Lifka's Grand Théâtre électrique" in that building, where already the very first film showing took place. Subsequently, the second cinema of Linz was opened a few months later.
As the owner of travelling cinemas, Johann Bläser, got settled in Linz, he bought the "Hotel of the Golden Ship", and installed a cinema in it, the "Bio-Kinematograph". The third stationary cinema, called "Kino Kolloseum", in town was founded around 1910 by the vaudeville operator Karl Roithner. Its first location was the former festival hall at Hessenplatz.
The Linz International Short Film Festival is the first film festival in Upper Austria to focus on international short films. It launched in October 2018 at the Moviemento in Linz, showing 114 films over four days. The concept goes back to the festival director Parisa Ghasemi.

### Culinary specialties

In Linz there are both traditional restaurants and old wine taverns, as well as modern and exotic cuisine. The influence of 140 nations can be felt in Linz's culinary offerings. A coalition of over 40 restaurants, cafes and among other locations bars are called "hotspots". Moreover, Linz has several à la carte restaurants and Gault Millau gourmet restaurants.
Typical dishes in Linz include not only the famous Linzer torte but also knödel and strudel in many different kinds of variations. Another specialty is the erdäpfelkäs, a spread made from mashed potatoes and cream. Some well-known chefs from Linz are Lukas Erich, who cooks in the Verdi and Georg Essig from the Der neue Vogelkäfig.

### Regular events

* Ars Electronica Festival: the Ars Electronica Festival is a festival for media art which has been taking place annually in Linz since 1986 and includes exhibitions, concerts, performances, symposia and interventions on changing themes that take place in public settings such as churches and industrial halls. The events focus on art, technology and society and the nexus among them. In 2015 about 92,000 visitors attended the Ars Electronica Festival. The topic in 2016 was "RADICAL ATOMS and the alchemists of our time". In 2017 the festival took place under the theme "Artificial Intelligence—The Alter Ego". The festival takes place in different public spaces and is considered to be a confrontation with and in the public sphere.
* Black Humour Festival: Every two years in May, the Festival of Black Humour with guests from all over Europe takes place in the Posthof in Linz.
* Bubble Days: the Bubble Days have been taking place annually in June since 2011 and are hosted by local creative collective LI.K.I.DO. During the event a number of extreme sports shows, such as aviation performances and a wake boarding contest, the Red Bull WAKE OF STEEL, take place in the harbour of Linz. Additionally there are a number of art exhibitions and live music acts and visitors can explore the harbour on boat tours, in paddle boats or kayaks. In 2013 the Bubble Days reached a total number of 12,000 visitors.
* Christkindlmärkte: Christmas markets at Hauptplatz and Volksgarten.
* Crossing Europe Film Festival: Since 2004 this festival takes place annually in Linz. Starting at a total number of 9,000 visitors in the first year, the tenth edition of the Crossing Europe Film Festival in 2014 attracted over 20,000 people; 184 feature films, documentaries and short films from 37 countries were shown. The film screenings are accompanied by exhibitions, talks and live music acts ("Nightline"). There are currently eight different awards to be won at the Crossing Europe Film Festival in categories such as "CROSSING EUROPE Audience Award", the "FEDEORA AWARD for European Documentaries" and the "CROSSING EUROPE AWARD Local Artist".
* Donau in Flammen (Danube in Flames): Annual music fireworks from June to August in Upper Austria on the banks of the Danube, accompanied by a broad supporting program.
* Festival der Regionen (Festival of the regions): The festival of the regions focuses on contemporary local art and culture and takes place every second year in varying locations across Upper Austria. It took place for the first time in 1993 and has been dedicated to different themes such as "the other", "marginal zones" or "normality".
* Höhenrausch: Höhenrausch is an annual art project that was developed in 2009. As part of the DonauArt, an inter-institutional cultural project, Höhenrausch 2018 is under the motto "The other shore". The element of water is worked on by international artists, with the definition of the shore being the focus of artistic exploration. Diverse spaces and places underline the presentation of this project.
* International Brucknerfest: Following the opening of the "Brucknerhaus" concert hall in Linz three years earlier, the international Brucknerfest took place for the first time in 1977. Whereas the first two editions were only dedicated to classical music in general and Anton Bruckner's pieces in particular, this changed in 1979 when the international Brucknerfest, the Ars Electronica festival and the "Klangwolke" (sound cloud), which now marks the beginning of the Brucknerfest, were merged to create a festival worthy of competing with those in Vienna and Salzburg. Taking place annually for three weeks in September/October it closes the Austrian festival season.
* Kinderfilmfestival (Kid's Film Festival): The international children's film festival is organized by the Kinderfreunde Oberösterreich. Films are shown in the original version while being live synchronised by an actor. The 29th festival will supposedly take place in November 2017.
* Kinderkulturwoche (Children's Week of Culture): The children's culture week has been taking place regularly since 2013 with plays, workshops, intro courses for children and teenagers.
* Klangwolke (Cloud of sound): Created as a link between the Ars Electronica Festival and the international Brucknerfest, this open-air multimedia musical event takes place annually at the beginning of September at the riverside Donaupark in Linz. It is free of charge and attracted about 110,000 people in 2013. Today there are three different "Clouds of sound", the visualised Klangwolke, in which modern music (mostly commissioned works) is staged with lasers, video projections, fireworks, ships, cranes, balloons, etc., the Klangwolke for children (since 1998) and the classical Klangwolke.
* Linzfest: This open air festival has taken place in Linz since 1990. It is financed by the city of Linz and several sponsors and organised for the broad public of all ages in cooperation with partners such as local cultural institutions. The festival is dedicated to a different theme every year (the last one in 2014 was "Old is the new new") and includes concerts, theatre, dance, comedy, art in the public space, culinary art, literature and parties, all of which are in line with the general theme of the event. It is held in the "Donaupark", a wide park area next to the Danube, also referred to as "Donaulände" or "Kulturmeile".
* Lido Sounds: a three-days-festival with various music styles at the Danube riverside.
* Pflasterspektakel: The festival takes place annually since 1986 in the city centre of Linz and includes musical acts, juggling, acrobatics, pantomime, improvisational theatre, clownery, fire dancing, painting, samba parades, as well as a programme for children. With about 250,000 visitors (2014) the festival is one of the biggest street art festivals in Europe; its 28th edition featured 300 artists from 36 different nations.
* The Stadtfest (City festival) is held annually in August in the inner city of Linz. The three-day festival features live music acts of different styles, with each music style being represented on a different stage. The concerts are held by national and international artists. Every year about 100,000 people take part in this event.

### Archives

* Archive of the city of Linz: collection of important documents of the city of Linz, presenting Linz' town history
* Atelierhaus Salzamt: living and working space for artists, featuring continuous exhibitions.
* Botanic garden: about 100,000 visitors every year; featuring a summer programme of music acts, readings and dance performances in the garden pavilion
* Donaupark Linz: contains sculptures by national and international artists such as Herbert Bayer, Max Bill and David Rabinowitch. The original idea of this project, called 'forum metall', by Helmuth Gsöllpointner and Peter Baum, was to set an example of Linz as an art metropolis with sculptures symbolizing a fusion of art and economy.

### Commemorative year 2018

The project "Linz 1938/1918", which started on 29 June 2018, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic (1918) and 80 years of "political union" (1938). With this installation in the public space, presented in the city center, Linz fulfills its responsibility and commitment to maintaining peace with its declaration, making a contribution to dealing with the past. The idea is to reach people who have little relation to the years of 1918 or 1938.

## Colleges and universities

* The Johannes Kepler University Linz is situated in the north-east of Linz, and hosts law, business, social sciences, medicine, engineering and science faculties; about 24,000 students (2023/2024) are enrolled. A spin-off of the university, as well as a Fachhochschule for various computer-related studies, (polytechnic) is located 20 mi (32 km) north of Linz in the small town of Hagenberg im Mühlkreis.
* University of Art and Design Linz, public, for arts and industrial design; 1,328 students (2016/2017)
* Fachhochschule Oberösterreich, Campus Linz; 879 students (2017/2018)
* Anton Bruckner Private University for music, acting and dance; 871 students (2017/2018)
* Educational college Oberösterreich; approx. 3,000 students
* Educational college Diocese of Linz
* Catholic Private University Linz; 341 students (2017/2018), which has been a Papal faculty since 1978
* LIMAK Austrian Business School
* KMU Akademie AG (Middlesex University London)

## Parks and gardens

* Lakes and public swimming pools: Pichlinger See, Pleschinger See, Weikerlsee, Biesenfeldbad, Hummelhofbad, Parkbad, Schörgenhubbad. One of the first public swimming pools was the former "Fabriksarm", a Danube branch stream (from Parkbad to Winterhafen) that was filled up in 1890. Afterwards a makeshift at the "Obere Donaulände" was built, which existed until a flood in 1954. In 1901 the "Städtische Schwimmschule" (city swimming school) was built at the place of the former Parkbad.
* Botanischer Garten: About 100,000 visitors are attracted by Botanischer Garten, which makes it one of the most visited sights of the city since 1952. Situated at Bauernberg, and comprising 4.2 hectares, the arrangement distinguishes by its harmonious design, its abundance of plant species (about 8,000 different types in culture) and the multifaceted cultural and event programme.
* Donaulände or "Lände": public park on the Danube between Lentos and the Brucknerhaus. In summer, the Donaulände is a common meeting point among young people living in Linz. It also hosts the Linzer Klangwolke.
* Freinberg: a public park frequented by families and joggers.
* Pfenningberg: Pfenningberg is a part of the northeastern green belt directioning to Steyregg. It overlooks the port facilities and the grounds of the VÖEST.
* Wasserwald: Big Park (approximately 1 km$^2$ (0.39 sq mi)) in the south of Linz. The park is located in the district of Kleinmünchen, where large waterworks are situated. The most frequent visitors are walkers, joggers, Nordic walkers and dog owners, who enjoy the idyllic atmosphere of the park. The park is equipped with well-maintained sidewalks, playgrounds, two toboggan hills, a fitness trail, a running track and a senior park with chess. Furthermore, two public toilets are available.
* Stadtpark: On 22 August 2003, the new Linz City Park between Huemer-, Museum-, Noßberger- and Körnerstraße was officially opened. With 10,807 square metres of green area, it is the second largest inner-city park. The city of Linz has acquired this area due to a barter with the Austrian postal service. Since Schiller Park in 1909, there has been no newly opened park of this magnitude in the centre of Linz.
* Landschaftspark Bindermichl-Spallerhof: In the first phase of the establishment of the 8.3 -hectare sized area, which reconnects the boroughs Bindermichl and Spallerhof, the province of Upper Austria was responsible for the expansion of the park. The park replaces the urban motorway, which runs subterranean in this area since 2006. Old paths were re-established and until mid 2007 the city's gardeners designed prethe new parkland with 550 trees and various shrubs, perennials and flower beds.
* Linzer Zoo: Linz Zoo is located at Pöstlingsberg and is home to around 600 animals from 110 different species on 4 acres (2 ha). In recent years, the zoo was able to increase its visitor numbers continuously. In 2014, about 132,000 visitors visited Linz Zoo.
* Kirchschlag bei Linz ski resort is located 15 km north of Linz and has three ski lifts: The Hauslift, the Waldlift or the Babylift. The special features of the ski area include the "How fast am I – route" which automatically measures the time or the night skiing. The ski area also has a 2 km long cross-country ski run, a curling ground and a nature ice rink.

## Notable people
### Public service and thinking

* Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria (1529–1595), second son of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
* Johann Grueber (1623–1680), an Austrian Jesuit missionary and astronomer in China, and noted explorer.
* Xavier Ehrenbert Fridelli (1673–1743), an Austrian Jesuit missionary and cartographer in China.
* Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria (1680–1741), the governor of the Austrian Netherlands, 1725 to 1741.
* Ludwig Andreas von Khevenhüller (1683–1744), a prominent Austrian Field marshal.
* Maria Anna of Austria (1683–1754), Queen consort of Portugal
* Johann Amadeus von Thugut (1736–1818), an Austrian diplomat.
* Ute Bock (1942–2018), an Austrian educator, she ran projects helping asylum seekers.
* Herwig van Staa (born 1942), politician (ÖVP), former governor of Tyrol
* Shlomo Sand (born 1946), professor of history at Tel Aviv University and author of the controversial book The Invention of the Jewish People
* Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger (born 1956), former Benedictine nun who was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church
* Volker Türk (born 1965), lawyer and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights since 2022.
* Verena Madner (born 1965), legal scholar, professor and constitutional judge

### The Arts

* Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer (1696–1770), a Rococo stuccoist and sculptor
* Marianne von Willemer (1784-1860), actress and dancer, knew Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, appears in his poetry.
* Anton Bruckner (1824–1896), an Austrian composer and organist of symphonies and sacred music.
* Ida Pellet (1838–1863), a German classical actress
* Alois Riegl (1858–1905), an Austrian art historian, and is considered a member of the Vienna School of Art History.
* Hermann Bahr (1863–1934), writer, playwright, director and critic.
* Frederic "Fritz" Austerlitz (1868–1923), Fred Astaire's father
* Richard Tauber (1891–1948), an Austrian lyric tenor and film actor.
* Fritz Eckhardt (1907–1995), actor, director and writer
* Alexandr Hackenschmied (1907–2004), a photographer, film director, cinematographer and film editor.
* Othmar Wessely (1922–1998), musicologist
* Igo Hofstetter (1926–2002), an Austrian operetta composer.
* Alfred Peschek (1929–2015), composer and musician
* Waltraut Cooper (born 1937), artist, pioneer of digital art
* Valie Export (born 1940), an avant-garde Austrian artist.
* Frank Elstner (born 1942), presenter on German television
* Fritz von Thurn und Taxis (born 1950), Austrian sportscaster
* Anton Koschany (born 1953), Canadian news producer, W5
* Kurt Hentschlager (born 1960), visual artist
* Franz Welser-Möst (born 1960), music director of the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera
* Paul Haslinger (born 1962), musician and composer
* Fritz Schmid (born 1972), theater performed stage operatic singer
* Birgit Minichmayr (born 1977), actress
* Teresa Präauer (born 1979), an Austrian writer and visual artist.
* Marco Krainer (born 1981), Austrian specialty and TV chef with connections to the United States
* Marcus Füreder (born 1974), producer, DJ
* Irene Kepl (born 1982), Austrian violinist and composer
* Christina Stürmer (born 1982), Austrian pop/rock singer

### Science & business

* Julius von Hann (1839–1921), an Austrian meteorologist; seen as a father of modern meteorology.
* Andreas Reischek (1845–1902), an Austrian taxidermist, naturalist, ornithologist and grave robber
* Hans Kronberger (1920–1970), British nuclear physicist
* Paul Achleitner (born 1956), banker and businessman
* Reinhard Rieger (1943-2006), Austrian zoologist

### Sport

* Viktor Kalisch (1902–1976), sprint canoeist and silver medallist at the 1936 Summer Olympics.
* Adolf Kainz (1903–1948), sprint canoeist and gold medallist at the 1936 Summer Olympics
* Karl Steinhuber (1906–2002), sprint canoeist, silver medallist at the 1936 Summer Olympics
* Erika Mahringer (1924–2018), an Austrian alpine skier, two time bronze medallist at the 1948 Winter Olympics
* Walter Oswald (born 1955), a former footballer who played over 510 games
* Elisabeth Theurer (born 1956), equestrienne, gold medallist in the 1980 Summer Olympics – Individual dressage
* Klaus Lindenberger (born 1957), former football player and coach, he played 430 games and 43 for Austria.
* Franz Schumann (born 1960), professional wrestler
* Herwig Drechsel (born 1973) a retired football player who played over 460 games
* Vera Lischka (born 1977), breaststroke swimmer and politician, (SPÖ)
* Sybille Bammer (born 1980), tennis player
* Andreas Ulmer (born 1985), footballer who has played 394 games and 32 for Austria.
* Florian Klein (born 1986), footballer who has played over 440 games
* Niklas Hoheneder (born 1986), football coach and a former defender who played over 390 games
* Heinz Lindner (born 1990), football goalkeeper who has played over 390 games and 36 for Austria.
* Gernot Trauner (born 1992), footballer who has played over 290 games and 10 for Austria.
* Mateo Kovačić (born 1994), Croatian footballer, played 370 games and 97 for Croatia
* Xaver Schlager (born 1997), footballer who has played over 220 games and 42 for Austria.
* Thomas Preining (born 1998), racing driver

### Living/Lived in Linz

* János Batsányi (1763 in Tapolca – 1845 in Linz), a Hungarian poet.
* Adalbert Stifter (1805, Oberplan – 1868, Linz), a Bohemian-Austrian writer, poet, painter, and pedagogue.
* Adolf Hitler, (1889, Braunau am Inn – 1945, Berlin) Führer of Germany
* Doug Hammond (born in Tampa, Florida, 1942), an American free funk/avant-garde jazz drummer, composer, poet and producer.
* Andrew Edge (born in Leeds, England, 1956), musician, moved to Linz in the late 1980s

## Twin towns – sister cities

Linz is twinned with:
* Albufeira, Portugal (2008)
* Brașov, Romania (2012)
* České Budějovice, Czech Republic (1987)
* Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (Berlin), Germany (1995)
* Chengdu, China (1983)
* Dodoma, Tanzania (2019)
* Eskişehir, Turkey (2012)
* Gwangyang, South Korea (1991)
* Halle, Germany (1975)
* Kansas City, United States (1988)
* Linköping, Sweden (1995)
* Linz am Rhein, Germany (1987)
* Modena, Italy (1992)
* Nasushiobara, Japan (2009)
* Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (1993)
* Norrköping, Sweden (1995)
* San Carlos, Nicaragua (1988)
* Tampere, Finland (1995)
* Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2014)
* Zaporizhia, Ukraine (1983)
* Sumgait, Azerbaijan (2009)
A previous town-twinning established in 1977 with Gabès, Tunisia was ended in 2016 due to lack of contact.