When Covid finally gave way in the winter of 2022 and the Christmas markets reopened, we thought we'd resume the tradition of visiting them every year. As part of our working social fund, we made full use of our contribution this year and used the services of a travel agent, with whom we went to the markets in Linz, Austria.
Linz - Hauptplatz Square
Departure from Mlada Boleslav was at 5 in the morning. What's more, it was at the other end of town, by the motorway. Since Boleslav's public transport has the lowest standards in terms of usability, of course nothing runs at this time and the only way to get to your destination is by taxi. The bus arrives on time and I sleep the journey all the way to Budejovice. After Budějovice I enjoy the surrounding countryside, as I don't get to these places very often. We arrive in Linz before 9 and go straight to the main square, Hauptplatz, where the main Christmas market is located. It's quite a small square hence the more modest markets. Dresden, for example, is not comparable. Now we are at Hauptplatz, but for a different reason. We need to wait for the information centre to open so we can buy a ticket for the Pöstlingbergbahn.
This is a historic tram line. It was opened in 1897 and serves to transport passengers from Hauptplatz to the top of the Pöstlingberg, which offers a magnificent view of the city. It was originally built with a metre gauge, but after renovation in 2008-2009 it was converted to a 900 mm gauge to allow connection to the line's tram network. It uses this from Hauptplatz station to Landgutstraße station, after which it continues on its own track to Pöstlingberg. The route is 4.14 km long and covers an altitude difference of 255 metres. This makes it one of the steepest railways in the world. Even though it's basically a tramway, it doesn't charge a regular fare, but a special fare, so watch out for that, lest you pay a fine. Tickets can be bought at the information centre or from machines at the stations.
Linz - Hauptplatz Square
Since we are here before 9 and the information centre opens only at 9, we get a half-hour break to explore the city. We take advantage of this by walking along the main street, Landstrasse, where we come across a shopping centre with an open Intespar. We pop in there right away to buy some local produce for a snack. This just fills the time to head back to the information centre, where we buy our tickets for the Pöstlingbergbahn together. An unnecessary operation for me, as the same ticket can be bought quicker at a vending machine, which also take credit cards unlike the info centre. Once we have all bought our tickets, we move to the tram stop, which has a separate tram stop from the other lines. The funny thing was that while still on the bus, the guide reminded us that respirators are mandatory on the vehicles, and that this is something the locals are careful to enforce. The result was that the tram was full of locals and no one had a respirator. Neither did we.
Linz - Hauptplatz Square, Holy Trinity Column
Linz - Schmidtorstraße
Linz - Landstraße, Ursuline Church of St. Michael
The journey to Pöstlingberg (539 m above sea level) takes about twenty minutes. The final station is quite grand and has its own waiting room and free toilets. In addition to the view of the city, there is also the Pöstlingberg Kirche, which is located at the top of the Pöstlingberg.
Tram at Pöstlingberg station
Pöstlingberg - View of Linz
Pöstlingberg Kirche
Pöstlingberg Kirche
We stay here for about an hour and then take the same route back to Hauptplatz, where we get another break to visit the markets, which are already open. In addition to the traditional assortment known from other Christmas markets, they offer traditional Linz sweets, which we taste together with mulled wine.
Linz - Christmas Market on Hauptplatz
The afternoon begins with a tour of local churches. We will visit the Alter Dom and then the Church of St. Ursula.
Linz - Church of St. Ursula
On the way to the largest church in the city, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, we come across a private Christmas market located on the corner of Landstrasse and Bischofstrasse in the courtyard of the Klosterhof restaurant. They are much nicer in their decoration than those in the main square.
Linz - Christmas Market at the Klosterhof Restaurant
We stay here for a while and continue to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. This is, among other things, the seat of the Linz diocese. With its capacity (20,000 seats), length (130 m) and area (5,170 m2), it is the largest church in Austria, but not the tallest. This is because in the former Austro-Hungary no church was allowed to be higher than the south tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.
Linz - Mariendom
After the cathedral tour we separate from the rest of the group and since we are quite cold, we go to warm up at the Ars Electronica center. This is a Zukunft Museum concept where visitors can encounter various exhibitions, interactive zones and programs focusing on future topics such as artificial intelligence, climate change, biotechnology and many more. The exhibitions are designed to be interactive and force visitors to try them out. In addition, the museum focuses on collaborating with scientists, artists and other experts to ensure that exhibitions are based on current research and ideas. There was so much here that we didn't get to see everything in the two hours we had before closing. If you want to keep the kids entertained in Linz for a while this is the perfect place. There's plenty to do here and it's fun for kids and adults alike. One of the interesting things was that the Czech Prusa printers were presented at the 3D printing.
Linz - Danube
Linz - Ars Electronica center
We don't have much time before departure, and we want to walk through the markets and buy souvenirs at night. So first we take a brisk walk to Interpsar for Mozart balls, chocolates and snacks for the road, followed by a quick dinner at the market, where we have sausage and cabbage. Compared to the afternoon, though, it was really crowded here already and you had to fight your way through the crowd if you needed to get somewhere.
Linz - Schmidtorstraße
Linz - Hauptplatz Square
This concludes our tour of Christmas Linz and we head back to the bus that will take us home. I'm so tired that I sleep the whole way back, so the trip there and back went by beautifully. We arrive in Boleslav around 10pm. The Christmas markets in Linz aren't bad, but I guess it's the kind of place you only need to be once in a lifetime and don't need to return repeatedly. Comparing it to Vienna or Dresden.
Užitečné odkazy:
Pöstlingbergbahn
Public transport Linz
Ars Electronica center
Mariendom
