Onion River Exploration Project: Take a Risk Visit Linz

Basilica Maria Taferl

Day 2 (7/21/26) Linz, Austria

“Take a Risk Visit Linz”, the slogan from there tourist map and brochure about says it all. It has a different flavor than the rest of the places we visited. It is where old meets new. Adolf Hitler considered Linz his home town. Although he wasn’t born there he spent most of his childhood there and it held a special place in his heart. He had big plans for it after the war. In 1938 he used the balcony of the (Rathaus) Town Hall to declare the unification of Germany and Austria as the beginning of the “Greater German Empire”. He spent much of his time in Linz during the war. Linz also has the Nibelungen Bridge which served as the demarcation line between the Soviet Union and American occupation zones following World War 2. From 1945 to 1955 the bridge functioned as an international border checkpoint. The southern bank of Linz was controlled by the United States while the northern bank was controlled by the Soviet Union. The division lasted until Austria regained its independence in 1955. It was known as “The path from Moscow to Washington”. But not everything in Linz is about war and affairs of state. Linz is the home of the “Linzertort”, the oldest written cake recipe still in use. It is a heavy, spicy cake. We stopped by the oldest bakery in Linz to give it a try. It has a slight gingerbread flavor with nuts and jelly. It was well worth the walk to re-find it. There are several notable churches in Linz. The Basilica Maria Taferl sits on a hill overlooking the city on the southern side of the river with a tram that runs from town to the top. The Old Cathedral (Alter Dom), which we visited, was constructed by Jesuits between 1669 and 1683 in the Baroque style. The composer Anton Bruckner served as the cathedral organist from 1855 to 1868. Another notable building although modern in design is the Arts Electronica Center. The building features a specialized LED media façade designed for interactive light shows and artistic projections. The museum serves as a “Museum of the Future,” focusing on art, technology, and society. Linz is a city of bridges but the most important one bridges the gap between past and future.