Linz is a beautiful old city, the third largest in Austria and the capital of Upper Austria. Not much has been written about it in Turbine, so I thought that I couldn’t tell everything in one note. I'll start with its historical part.
The center of Linz is rightfully its Main Square (Hauptplatz), while it is considered the largest in Austria. Its length is more than 200 meters, width - about 60 meters. Its history totals not one hundred years. Construction began in 1230, the founder was the Duke of Otakar III. Initially, the market was located on the square, and the square itself was called Heybukhel.
Subsequently, its name changed repeatedly. In the 15th century it was called the Bolshoi, and at the beginning of the 19th century - the Main, but in 1873 it was renamed in honor of Emperor Franz Joseph I, in the thirties of the last century it was named Adolf Hitler. In 1945, the last renaming of the place to the Main Square took place.
The square, as I saw it, impressed with its size, but more so with the fact that trams run along it, I have not seen anywhere else. From here on the famous Pöstlingbergbahn you can get to the main hill of Linz - Pöstlingberg.
In itself, it is very beautiful, beautifully decorated with old, multi-storey buildings, one another is more beautiful.
They are decorated with stucco, bas-reliefs, figures and attics. Each is worthy of attention. You pay attention to the fact that all houses, mainly with narrow facades, are explained by the fact that the cost of land around the market square was high, it was necessary to save.
The pink building with a balcony decorated with red cyclamens immediately attracts attention. This is the old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), built back in 1514 in the Gothic style under the guidance of architect Christoph Meister. From that building there was only an angled octagonal clock tower, on which a bell orchestra still operates, which performs melodies popular for Linz three times a day.
After a fire in the 16th century, the facade of the town hall was made in the Baroque style.
This beautiful building is associated with events that the Austrians do not really like to remember. As already mentioned, at one time the square bore the name of Hitler, who lived in this city in childhood and youth, and in 1938, from the balcony of the town hall made his notorious speech about the unification of Germany and Austria, most Austrians enthusiastically accepted the Anschluss - they were promised work and respectively welfare.
Hitler had his own special plans for Linz. He decided to collect the artistic treasures of Europe here, hoping to meet old age in his beloved city and enjoy the works of art.
Hitler led the project "Museum of the Führer" or "Special Mission Linz". He planned to turn Linz into the cultural capital of not only the Third Reich, but the whole world. The whole life of the city should have been concentrated around a grandiose museum complex, in which the main place would be occupied by an art gallery.
The "Mission Linz" were involved - Martin Bormann, Albert Speer and Hans Posse. The latter was just collecting the collection. Posse was a famous museum specialist and the youngest director of the Dresden Gallery. Speer was supposed to build a building for the museum based on the sketches of the Fuhrer. In the USSR, Hitler was most interested in the Hermitage.
There is a documentary about the Führer’s unfulfilled dream about this plan and its embodiment.
Nowadays, the town hall has a rather interesting museum, “The Origin of Linz” (Linz Genesis). It contains in a concise and clear form all the information about the city. From its roots to projects of the present.
Inside the building is represented by modern halls and passages, finished with glass and metal.
The floors in the museum are unusual, they depict the whole of Linz with its surroundings, you can make a route for excursions. The entrance to it is free and is located on the opposite side, from the yard.
By the way, the tourist information office is also located here.
The building has another unusual "Museum of Dentistry". It tells about the history of dentistry, starting from 1700 to the present day. Here you can see old x-ray machines, dental chairs, doctor’s instruments, dentures and crowns, the materials from which they were made, and much more. Interesting, but not for everybody. Very unpleasant memories))) Admission is free.
In addition to the museum, the building still houses the mayor's office and the municipal authorities, as well as private courtyards and apartments.
A short distance from the town hall, on the southeast corner of the square, stands the Old Cathedral (Alter Dom), which is an example of classical Baroque architecture, which emerged as a Jesuit church in the late 17th century. It is also called the Cathedral of St. Ignatius, in honor of the saint who founded the Jesuit Order.
Outwardly, the cathedral looks quite usual - two absolutely identical towers and a low dome between them. But inside, according to the stories, since I did not visit him, there is a luxurious interior.
The decor is made using pink marble, the columns are decorated with ornate decorative elements.