Visited October 2012
Day 4
Linz, the 3rd largest city of Austria, is the capital of the state of Upper Austria. From Vienna by train, it takes about 95 minutes to Linz. And because it sits between Vienna and my next destination, it was naturally our pit stop for the day.
Our accommodation for the day was Austria Trend Hotel Schillerpark, easily accessible by tram from the train station, Linz Hauptbanhof. To help with our transport around the city, we purchased the 1-day Linz Card, of which provided us with free entrance to museums, free public transportation, and discounts for the Pöstlingberg, Danube River Cruise and the City Tour.
Our first stop was the nearby Cathedral of St Mary, the largest church in Austria. Mariendom church is known for its stained-glass windows, of which the most notable ones are the ‘Linz Window’ and the ‘Emperor Window’. Guided tours to the spire are available on a daily basis.
Continuing our trip, we made our way to Hauptplatz, the city centre of Linz. A tourist information centre is located there for anyone who needs help, and because we were there on a weekend, the flea market was on for some trinket shopping.
As we planned to head to Pöstlingberg for the pilgrimage church, Wallfahrtsbasilika, tickets were purchased at the machine just next to the train stop. While I had planned to capture the exterior of the church overlooking the city, unfortunately my plan was ill-researched, as I could not find a good angle for such a picture. Hence, it was a disappointing trip as we headed back down and went on to visit Linzer Schloss, a castle museum.
Rebuilt into a modern glass-and-steel architecture after the city fire of 1800, the castle is now a museum on nature and technology. At the entrance, one can also see a model of the city, as well as a view of Linz, as the castle is located on higher ground.
With some free time on hand having had finished visiting the major sightseeing spots in our opinion, the Boy spotted a structure on the map and thought that we should try visiting that. That structure was Franz Josef Warte, a tower on Freinberg mountain located in a park. Following the instructions to take bus no. 26, we alighted at Vergreinerstraße bus stop, where we began our difficult journey in trying to pinpoint the tower’s exact location. While we thought that being a tower, it should be easy to find; we were however in a quiet area where we were unable to spot any tall structure at all.
With luck running out as it was almost time for the tower to be closed, we were fortunate enough to meet with a local exercising with his dog, of whom kindly pointed us in the correct direction. Following that was a mad scramble to the tower and us huffing and puffing up the numerous steps for a unblocked view of the beautiful city. I would say that the climb was worth all the physical exertions!
As the sun began to set, we decided to try out some night photography.
They did say that Linz is known for its vibrant night lights. Plus it was nice strolling along the Danube River.
