13 Best Sights in Linz, Day Trips from Vienna

Just across the Nibelungen Bridge from the Hauptplatz, this highly acclaimed "Museum of the Future," opened in 2009, pays tribute to the confluence of art, technology, and society. Permanent features at the museum include the 3D cinema room, which allows you to fly over Renaissance cathedrals or explore ancient civilizations, as well as exhibits on the latest developments in robotics and the origins of the universe—all with English explanations. As well as its permanent exhibits, the center also hosts annual festivals, with a different theme each year. Allow at least half a day to experience all the cybersites here. When you need a break, visit the Cubus bistro on the third floor for refreshments and a spectacular view overlooking the Danube and Lentos Kunstmuseum opposite ( www.cubus.at).

When you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Linz, just hop on the electric railway Pöstlingbergbahn for a scenic ride up to the famous mountain belvedere, the Pöstlingberg. The narrow-gauge marvel has been making the journey since 1898, and today the line extends to Hauptplatz. Europe's steepest non-cog mountain railway gains 750 feet in elevation in a journey of roughly 4 kilometers (2½ miles) in just 20 minutes, with neither pulleys nor cables to prevent it from slipping. Halfway up is the Linz Zoological Garden and a children's petting zoo, but it's at the top where you'll enjoy the best views, with the city and the wide sweep of the Danube filling the foreground and the snowcapped Alps on the horizon. Also here is the Church of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin (Sieben Schmerzen Mariens), an immense and opulent twin-towered Baroque pilgrimage church (1748) visible for miles around. Kids will enjoy the Grottenbahn, or Dragon Express, where they're whisked through a world of dwarves, forest creatures, and other fairy-tale folk, while adults can drink in the views—along with a glass of chilled white wine—from the terrace of the Pöstlingberg Schlössl restaurant.

Located 14 kilometers (8½ miles) southeast of Linz, this palatial Augustinian abbey—one of the most spectacular Baroque showpieces in Austria—was built in 1686 to honor the spot on the River Enns where St. Florian was drowned by pagans in 304. Landmarked by three gigantic "candle-snuffer" cupolas, it's centered on a mammoth Marmorsaal (Marble Hall), covered with frescoes honoring Prince Eugene of Savoy's defeat of the Turks, and a sumptuous library filled with 140,000 volumes. Guided tours of the abbey also take in the magnificent, three-story figural gateway, covered with symbolic statues; the Kaiserzimmer, a suite of 13 opulent salons with the "terrifying bed" of Prince Eugene (it's adorned with wood-carved figures of captives); and the over-the-top abbey church, home to an enormous organ once played by composer Anton Bruckner. You'll also see one of the great masterworks of the Austrian Baroque, Jakob Prandtauer's Eagle Fountain Courtyard, with its richly sculpted figures. If you find one day isn't enough to see it all, there are also rooms where you can spend the night in the abbey grounds (from €104 per night, including breakfast). Getting to the abbey is easy: there are regular buses from Linz's Volksgarten.

Hidden away off the Graben, a narrow side street off the Taubenmarkt above the Hauptplatz, is this Baroque gem (1669–1678). The most striking feature of the Old Church, or Ignatiuskirche, is its single nave with side altars. Anton Bruckner was the organist here from 1856 to 1868.

At the lower end of the main square, the original 1513 building was mostly destroyed by fire and replaced in 1658–1659. Its octagonal corner turret and lunar clock, and some vaulted rooms, remain, and you can detect traces of the original Renaissance structure on the Rathausgasse facade. The present exterior dates from 1824. The approach from Rathausgasse 5, opposite the Kepler Haus, leads through a fine, arcaded courtyard. On the facade here you'll spot portraits of Emperor Friedrich III, the mayors Hoffmandl and Prunner, the astronomer Johannes Kepler, and the composer Anton Bruckner. The building houses a rather odd museum of dentistry ( www.zahnmuseum-linz.at).

One of the symbols of Linz is the 65-foot Baroque column in the center of the Hauptplatz. Made in 1723 from white Salzburg marble, the memorial offers thanks from an earthly trinity—the provincial estates, city council, and local citizenry—for deliverance from the threats of war (1704), fire (1712), and plague (1713). On Saturdays, from March through October, there's a popular flea market centered around the column, while on Tuesdays and Fridays there is a farmers' market.

A magnificent renaissance building erected in the 16th century, the Landhaus is today the seat of the Upper Austrian provincial government. Look inside to see the arcaded courtyard with the Planet Fountain (honoring the astronomer Johannes Kepler, who taught here when it was the city's college) and the Hall of Stone on the first floor, above the barrel-vaulted hall on the ground floor. This hall, the Steinerner Saal, was probably the setting for a noted concert given by the Mozart children in October 1762, from which Count Pálffy hurried back to Vienna to spread the word about the musical prodigies. Adjoining the building is the Minoritenkirche, or Church of the Minor Friars. The present building dates from 1758 and has a delightful Rococo interior with side-altar paintings by Kremser Schmidt and a main altar by Bartolomeo Altomonte.

Taking its name from the ancient Celtic settlement that was the origin of the city of Linz, this contemporary art gallery hugs the banks of the Danube on the Altstadt side of the river. Designed by Zurich architects Weber and Hofer, the building alone is worth a visit: its long, low-slung "shoe-box" gray-glass structure picks up the reflection of the water and, at night, it's brightly lit in shimmering blue or red. Inside, the collection contains an impressive number of paintings by Austrian Secession maestros Klimt, Schiele, and Kokoschka, along with works by other artists, including sculptures by Alfred Hrdlicka and one of the famous silkscreen portraits of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol. All in all, the museum has about 1,500 artworks, more than 10,000 sketches, and nearly 1,000 photographs. The gallery's excellent café-bar-restaurant has an outdoor terrace with beautiful views of the river.

Just a 30-minute walk from the Old Town but a whole world away, Linz's old industrial Hafenviertel (Harbor Quarter) is home to one of Europe's largest open-air graffiti galleries. Almost every inch of the area's old warehouses, containers, and other industrial facades have been taken over by colorful and evocative works by international and local street artists like Aryz, Lors, Nychos, and Roa. There are about 300 artworks, and you can see them all on a series of guided tours, though these are only in German. Alternatively, just stroll up and down Industriezeile yourself—many of the most impressive artworks are visible from the street.

In 1862, the bishop of Linz engaged one of the architects of Cologne cathedral to develop a design for a grand cathedral in the French neo-Gothic style to accommodate 20,000 worshipers, at that time one-third of the population of Linz. According to legend, the tower was not to be higher than that of St. Stephen's in Vienna. The result was the massive 400-foot tower, shorter than St. Stephen's by a scant 6½ feet. Nevertheless, the "New Cathedral"—also known as the Mariendom or Maria-Empfängnis-Dom—was, and remains, the largest cathedral in the country. It contains gorgeous stained-glass windows depicting scenes from Linz's long history, and you can also climb the tower for lovely views over the city. There are also regular organ recitals held here; check the schedule online.

The city museum's extensive collection of art, photography, and archaeology follows local history from pre-Roman times to the mid-1880s.

The massive four-story Linz Schloss (Linz Castle) was rebuilt as a palace by Friedrich III around 1477, literally on top of a castle that dated from 799. Today, its south wing is a modern, glass and steel building that contains one of the best provincial museums in the country. The Schlossmuseum's permanent exhibition traces the development of art, culture, science, and technology in Upper Austria from prehistory, through the Romans, to the Middle Ages, while temporary exhibitions do a deep-dive on particular aspects of local history. Look out for Beethoven's Hammerklavier among the historical musical instruments. Outside, check out the Friedrichstor (the Frederick Gate), with the A.E.I.O.U. monogram—some believe it stands for the Latin sentence meaning "All Earth pays tribute to Austria"—then stop for a drink or a bite in the Schloss Café, with its lovely shaded terrace affording lordly views of the Danube and the opposite bank.

Getting up to the castle requires a short uphill walk. Avoid the steep and unshaded steps off Römerstrasse and opt for the gentler walk up Hofgasse instead

This city parish church dates from 1286 and was rebuilt in Baroque style in 1648. The tomb in the right wall of the chancel contains Frederick III's heart and entrails (the corpse is in Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral). The ceiling frescoes are by Altomonte, and the figure of Johann Nepomuk (a local saint) in the chancel is by Georg Raphael Donner, with grand decoration supplied by the master designer Hildebrandt.