Linz

Introducing Linz

Linz dares to defy the braces-and-breeches image of Austria; a city with an urban edge, a thriving youth culture and its feet firmly in the 21st century. It may not have old-world architecture to rival the giddy heights of Vienna or Salzburg, but it comes up trumps in the modern art and new technology stakes, with crystalline venues like Lentos and the Ars Electronica Center.

And who would have thought that this industrial powerhouse had it in it to become European Capital of Culture 2009? By injecting life into the centre in recent years, the city has successfully reinvented itself: where people once diverted their gaze from unsightly smoke stacks, they now crane their necks to ogle glass-walled galleries displaying Kokoschka or daring public art installations. This sleeping city has finally awoken, even though she may not be a classic beauty.

While Linz takes contemporary design seriously, it has not become a soulless space. Alongside the modernist cubes are snug cafés where you can indulge in a slice or two of scrumptious Linzer Torte, hip bars lining the narrow streets of the Altstadt (old town) and a creaking railway that has crept into the Guinness Book of Records. So next time you’re passing through this corner of Austria, hop off the train to see why this city is worth more than a cursory glance.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009