Car hire Linz

Introduction

Linz is the third largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Upper Austria. Although the city centre might seem a bit pale in comparison to Graz or Salzburg, it does have beautiful historical buildings to admire. First most the Linz Castle, but there are also beautiful churches like Mariendom and the Pöstlingsberg church that lies on top of a hill.

Lovers of electronic music come to the city every year at the beginning of September during the big Ars Electronica Festival. There are also many other cultural activities in Linz: during the summer months there are many daily open air concerts.

Population 

Linz has 190,000 inhabitants, but the city is located in an urban area which has 300,000 inhabitants.

Location

The city is located in the north of Austria, on the Donau river, just south of the Czech Republic border. South of Linz lie the hills of the Alpine foothills.

Economy

Linz is an industrial centre, with big metal and chemistry industries. The port of Donau also plays a major role in the local economy. There are branches of the confectionary producer Haribo and mail order Quelle. In recent years Research and Development (especially in the technology sector) has been on the rise, and the municipal government is trying to encourage tourism in Linz. 

Airports

The Linz-Hörsching Airport (also Blue Danube Airport) lies 12 kilometers south west of the city and is easily accessible by car. The airport lies next to Bundesstrasse 133.

Public transportation

Linz has an excellent public transportation system that consists of tram and bus lines. A separate tram line runs to the top if the Pöstlingberg. With a Linz City Ticket you can use this tram line for free, but you also receive discount on entrance fees of museums and other attractions with the card.

Traffic and parking

Traffic in Linz is very busy. Not surprising, because the number of jobs in the city is almost twice as high as the working class population. Thus try to avoid driving during rush hour. Although there are many parking lots and garages, it can be difficult in summertime to find a parking space. Linz has excellent connections with the rest of Austria (Vienna and Salzburg via the A1, Graz and Klagenfurt via the A9) and with Germany (Munich). There are plans to build a freeway to the north, to the Czech Republic.

Hotels

Linz has an excellent variety of overnight facilities. From camping at the Pichlinger Lake to international hotel chains (e.g Marriott). In the summer months and during conferences, it is advised to book your room well in advance.

External resources

For more information on Linz, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Linz
• Official website Linz (German and English)
• Tourist information Linz (German)