Linz
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Linz is the capital of Upper Austria, one of the nine federal states of Austria. In 2009 it will be European Capital of Culture.
Linz is known for its industry, especially the steel production (hence the nickname "steeltown") and had a bad reputation for its air pollution for a long time. However, despite keeping its leading position in Austrian industry Linz has become a city with excellent air quality in the last few decades. So, today's inhabitants and visitors of Linz can enjoy the rich historical background, fantastic sights, beautiful landscapes, and outstanding cultural events without experiencing the downsides that many industrial cities face.
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CouchSurfing in Linz
Linz has a very lively CS community. Currently, there are more than 300 CouchSurfers living in Linz and many of them are participating regularly in CS events and meetings and are happy to host CouchSurfers from all over the world.
Rumor has it that Linz even hosted the 1st International CS Meeting ever. In July 2005 more than 40 CouchSurfers from all over the world joined a BBQ & camping weekend at Pleschingersee in Linz. Even though most of the current Linzer CouchSurfers were not there (because they didn't even know that CS existed by that time) the spirit and enthusiasm of these "early days" of CS can still be found in Linz.
Finding a Couch in Linz: Finding a host in Linz is usually rather easy as Linz is not so touristy most of the time. Just search for couches in Linz, Austria with the CS CouchSearch tool and contact the possible hosts directly.
If you're coming to one of the well-known festivals or cultural events (ARS Electronica Festival, Pflasterspektakel, etc. - see the section about "highlights" below) you might need to write quite a few CouchRequests to find a host as during these events there are usually a lot of people coming to Linz. We are also expecting far more CouchSurfers all over 2009 when Linz is European Capital of Culture.
Last Minute Emergency Couches: We are currently working on a system to offer Last Minute Emergency Couches in Linz. Until it is working it might be advisable to post a message in the Linz Group instead if you are in urgent need of a place to stay.
Please note that this does not make up for searching couches and writing CouchRequests in advance. Many hosts are flexible with your arrival date if you keep them informed/stay in touch with them and show them respect for offering their couch. So, even if you are not completely sure about when you will come to Linz write personal requests in advance. It is only advisable to post in the Linz group if you have a very good reason for not writing personal requests instead (e.g. a case of emergency).
If you are just "late" with your CouchRequest please do not post in the Linz group. You might as well be lucky enough to find a host spontaneuously. There are a lot of "CS addicts" around here who might read and aswer your request very quickly.
Meeting CouchSurfers in Linz: There are monthly regular CS meetings taking place in Linz but also spontaneous meet ups at least once or twice a week. To find out what's going on in Linz you can check out the postings in the Linz Group and the entries in the CouchSurfing Event Calendar for Linz. You could also have a look at the Events Page and search for events in Europe/Austria/Upper Austria. If you do not find anything for the time you are staying in Linz but would like to meet other CouchSurfers just post a message in the Linz Group or ask your host about events.
CS Guides: Usually the CouchSurfers in Linz indicate in their CouchDescription if they can show you around in Linz. So, first of all, it is advisable to read the profiles and to ask your host if she/he can/has time to show you around. Your host might also know some other local CouchSurfers who could show you around instead.
Tourist Information
The city of Linz offers extensive information for tourists. Please visit the website Linz Tourism or the Linz City Tourist Board on Hauptplatz 1 if you need general information about Linz (e.g. travel information, accomodation, sights, offers, etc.)
Highlights (Selection)
Linz is a very lively city. Especially in summer there are numerous outdoor events taking place in the city center. Apart from that, you can enjoy Linz' famous museums, sights and many indoor cultural events all over the year.
Old Town: If you like walking around the city have a look at the Linz Tourism Webpage. It gives an overview about the major sights in the old town of Linz like the Cathedrals, the Linz Castle, the sights on the Main Square etc.
Pöstlingberg: Pöstlingberg is the landmark mountain of Linz. On it's top there is a pilgrimage basilica, a panorama viewing plattform (from where you can see all over Linz and, on a clear day, the Alps in the south of Upper Austria) and the Grottenbahn, a cave railway (for more information see: Pöstlingberg Tourist Information).
Walking up the Pöstlingberg is a nice little trip but you can also take the Bus No. 50 from Hauptplatz (main square). The very famous historic Pöstlingbergbahn (Europe's steepest tram) is not in service anymore. It is currently being replaced by a new tram which will start operating in summer 2009
Gardens and Parks (Selection): Even though cities are, in general, not famous for their beautiful nature, gardens, parks and other recreational areas are major parts of the beauty and quality of life of a city. In Linz there are loads of very beautiful gardens, parks, hills, lakes and meadows well worth visiting. You can explore most of them along the 10 Linz City Walks (online brochures only available in German)
- Botanical Gardens
- Freinbergpark
- Bauernbergpark
- Pferdeeisenbahnweg/St. Magdalena
- Donaupark - Hochwasserschutzdamm - Pleschingersee - Pleschinger Au
- Wasserwald
- Traunauen
Museums (Selection):
- Ars Electronica Center - Museum of the Future
- OK Center for Contemporary Art
- Lentos Museum of Modern Arts Linz
Theaters (Selection):
Concerts: For classical concerts Brucknerhaus is the first address in Linz. In summer (June to August) one of the musical highlight in Linz is the Music Pavillion in the Donaupark near Brucknerhaus. Every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday there is a diverse mixture of music on the program with folk, pop, blues, vocal music and jazz. At Posthof you will find a variety of modern music, dance and comedy performances. Stadtwerkstatt and KAPU are very popular with young people. They offer an alternative music program, that is, gigs with alternative or unknown bands.
Cinemas (Selection): In the city center of Linz there are two cinemas that show movies in their original version: Moviemento and City Cinema.
Events: In the CouchSurfing Event Calendar for Linz you can find both cultural events and CS events that take place in Linz. The most famous events in Linz are the annual LinzFest, an open air music festival at Pentecost, the Pflasterspektakel, an international festival for street art in July and the Ars Electronica Festival, a festival for art and modern technology in September. During the Ars Electronica Festival also the popular Visualisierte Klangwolke takes place, a spectacular open air play on the danube.
Going out
There is a list of pubs available on Wikitravel. In addition to those pubs the following bars/pubs are quite popular:
Culinary Delights
One of the CS highlights in Linz is the Just Cook, Eat and Meet in Linz Group. Here, Linzer CouchSurfers organize topical or country specific dinner parties that usually include cooking together and getting some information about the country or topic. These parties are also a good opportunity to get to know local CouchSurfers. To find out about upcoming dinner parties of the group visit the group page.
For an overview of restaurants in Linz visit the online Restaurant Guide. Some tips can be found on Wikitravel. Otherwise (e.g. for special diets, eating on a budget, eating late), just ask you host for more information.
Please note that on Sundays and public holidays it is not always easy to find an open restaurant.
Coffee lovers can find very good coffee in the city center e.g. at
- Coffeeshop Company at Graben 34 or Landstraße 71-75
- Cup&Cino at Alter Mark 1
- Café Glockenspiel on Hauptplatz 18
Café Glockespiel is a very famous traditional Linzer Café where you can also get traditional pastries and cakes. The other two Coffeshops are in a more modern style and offer coffee to take away.
