A year of culture in Linz
In 2009, Linz will follow in the footsteps of Liverpool and take on a year’s tenure as European Capital of Culture. Carrie Drage discovers how the city has created its own modern cultural identity and increased its group appeal.
Linz is situated on both banks of the River Danube in Upper Austria, roughly half-way between two of Austria’s most popular tourist cities – Salzburg and Vienna. The city became heavily industrialised prior to – and during – World War II and has built up a reputation as a ‘steel city’, in reference to the steel company ‘voestalpine AG’, which has its headquarters in Linz. Since the 1970s, the city has re-invented itself as a city of culture, not least because of ‘Klangwolke’ (Cloud of Sound) and ‘Ars Electronica’, two festivals staged in the city that have risen to worldwide importance. Linz is set to come to prominence in 2009 when it takes on European Capital of Culture status, an honour it will share with the Lithuanian city of Vilnius.
Heart of the city
A good way to acquaint yourself with a new city is to take a guided tour and Linz is no exception; guided tours by foot or coach can be custom-designed by one of the city’s nationally-accredited guides. Alternatively, groups can explore the city on the yellow buggy train, Linz City Express, which departs from the Hauptplatz (Main Square). Most of the city’s attractions offer discounted rates for groups.
At the heart of the city lies the Altstadt (Old Town). Its centrepiece is the Hauptplatz – believed to be one of the largest squares in Europe – surrounded by an assortment of baroque buildings including the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), known for its pretty courtyard and Linz Genesis exhibition tracing the history of the city. The nearby Landhaus (State House), home of the provincial government and Stifterhaus, a literature museum formerly the home of Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter are also worth a look, as is Mozarthaus, where the composer created his ‘Linz Symphony’ in 1783.
The city’s main shopping district also lies in close proximity to the Altstadt. The kilometre-long Landstrasse offers a good mix of global brand stores and older shopping arcades; however, its side streets are best for picking up quirky gifts and souvenirs with many small independent stores and craftspeople concentrated here. The abundance of coffee houses and garden restaurants also provide a prime opportunity to sample Linz’s culinary speciality, the Linzer Torte – a redcurrant jam tart made with almond pastry.
Linz also has several churches dating from different eras. Martinskirche is an easy walk from the Altstadt and is one of Austria’s oldest churches, built during the 700s. In contrast, the city’s Mariendom or Neuer Dom (New Cathedral) is also worth a look. The 19th century building can seat a congregation of 20,000 people, making it Austria’s largest place of worship.
Back to nature
An appealing feature of the city is its vast green spaces (Linz has no less than 51 parks!) with more than half of the city classed as greenbelt area.
Occupying a space of more than 42,000 square metres, the Botanischer Garten (Botanical Garden) provides a retreat from the busy city centre. Although the garden is renowned for its collection of cacti, other notable features include a rosarium and alpinum.
Another activity that visitors should experience before leaving is a ride on the Postlingbergbahn, said to be the steepest mountain tramway in Europe. The climb up the Postlingberg hill, which rises more than 500 metres above the Danube, culminates with scenic vistas of the city, best viewed from the panorama platform or the pilgrimage church, Wallfahrtsbasilika. Currently the Postlingberg tram is out of service due to renovation; however, a replacement bus service provides an alternative means of transport up the hill. Construction work is expected to be completed by spring 2009.
If visiting Linz between May and August, it is advisable to combine a trip on the Postlingbergbahn with a performance at the Rosengarten (Rose Garden) at the top of the Postlingberg hill. The venue is renowned for its diverse programme of theatre, music and cabaret. Additionally, you can disembark the Postlingbergbahn part way up the hill to visit the Linz Zoo.
On the Danube
Many of Linz’s most iconic landmarks can be found on the banks of the Danube, an area often referred to as Kulturmeile (Culture Mile) due to its concentration of arts and cultural venues and green spaces used to stage large open-air events. Groups can take a pleasure cruise on the river to enjoy a view of the area’s architecture in its entirety.
One of Linz’s most imposing structures is the fortress-like Schlossmuseum (Linz Castle Museum) on the southern bank of the river. Re-built by Emperor Friedrich III in the late 15th century, the castle became a museum in 1960. In 1800, the South Wing of the castle was destroyed by fire and, to coincide with the city’s year as European Capital of Culture, it is currently being rebuilt for July 2009.
Heading east, the Lentos Kunstmuseum is easily recognisable with its transparent glass casing. The museum holds one of the most important collections of modern art in Austria.
Next to the Lentos Kunstmuseum is Donaupark and a short walk from here is the Brucknerhaus, the main concert hall named after the composer Anton Bruckner, a former resident of Linz, and home to the Bruckner Orchestra.
Meanwhile, on the northern bank of the Danube, the Ars Electronica Center is a striking modernist building dedicated to the study and interpretation of digital media and its impact on the artistic world. Also known as the ‘Museum of the Future’, it will close from October and re-open in January 2009 with a new extension that will triple its floor space.
Away from the riverfront’s Kulturmeile, Linz has a number of other attractions to explore. The Landesgalerie (State Museum) is considered to be one of Austria’s most beautiful museums, easily identified by its cherub roof obelisks, whilst the nearby Nordico – Museum der Stadt Linz contains exhibits relating to the city’s history such as art and archaeology. Meanwhile, multimedia projects from emerging artists feature at the OK Offenes Kulturhaus (OK Center for Contemporary Art).
Major events in Linz
Linz accommodates a wide range of cultural tastes and this is reflected in the city’s diverse programme of events and exhibitions. Some are free to attend; however, for those with a charge, savings will be available next year by purchasing a one or three-day ‘Linz09’ card.
A major event in 2009 is LinzFest (30th May – 1st June) at Donaupark, offering performances ranging from folk music concerts to literature presentations. LinzFest also marks the start of Donausommer (Summer on the Danube), a festival that runs until the end of August. July is best known for the Pflasterspektakel (23rd July – 25th July), when more than 600 street performers from all over the world flock to the city. September kicks off with the Ars Electronica Festival (3rd – 8th September), which celebrates its 30th birthday in 2009; the electronic media art festival takes place at the Ars Electronica Center. This will be directly followed by the Klangwolke (5th, 12th and 13th September), which translates as ‘Clouds of Sounds’. Based in Donaupark, the event features three separate performances on different dates. These include the visual Cloud of Sound, a composition of music, light, laser and fireworks and the classical Cloud of Sound, which signals the start of the Brucknerfest (13th September – 5th October) by broadcasting its opening concert performed by the Bruckner Orchestra.
Yuletide in the city
Opportunities abound for your group during the festive season, from candle dipping near the Hauptplatz to hunting out unusual gift ideas at a Christmas market, normally open from the end of November. The Hauptplatz provides the setting for the annual Christkindlmarkt whilst the Adventmarkt at the Volksgarten delights visitors with its fairytale figure decorations. If there is one thing Linz is renowned for during the advent period it is its ‘crib city’. From the end of November until Christmas, the city exhibits hundreds of cribs from all over the world in shop windows, churches and museums. A ‘crib city’ brochure detailing all the locations can be collected from the tourist information office. Not far from the Altstadt, another noteworthy sight is the nativity scene in the crypt at the Mariendom, which is an impressive 12 metres long!
No festive season is complete without taking in an evening advent concert and Linz offers a diversity of venues, from the Brucknerhaus to the Alter Dom (Old Cathedral), where Bruckner once served as cathedral organist.
How to get there
Linz can be reached by air from the UK with regular direct flights operating to Blue Danube Airport Linz from London Stanstead with Ryanair. Indirect flights are also available from London Heathrow with Lufthansa, which flies via Munich and Frankfurt, and Austrian Airlines, which travels via Vienna.
By rail, the best route is via Brussels. Eurostar services operate from London St Pancras International to Brussels Midi, from where there are trains to Linz (via Germany) with Austrian Federal Railways.
By road, Linz is approximately 815 miles from London, travelling via the Channel ports and through Belgium and southern Germany.
Harold says… “You can enjoy the culture of Linz knowing that by visiting you are making a contribution to the re-invention of the city in the 21st century – head for the independent stores, enjoy looking for local goods and take the opportunity to buy directly from the craftspeople; take a break in a local coffee shop and soak up the atmosphere – eat your Linzer Torte alongside a local rather than in a tourist trap alongside other visitors. Look seriously at the rail option – you could do the Cologne to Linz section on the comfortable City Night Line.” Harold Goodwin, ICRT Leeds Metropolitan University www.icrtourism.org