Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, 30 km (19 mi) south of the border with the Czech Republic.

This strategic position on the river made it the first Roman fort in the Noricum region, protecting a vital transportation route.

[7] The Oeconomische Encyclopädie (also simply known as the Krünitz), with the entry about Linz being written around 1800,[8] describes the city as well built and fortified and its economy as growing, partially because of its location on the Danube and the connection to routes to Hungary and Vienna.

[9] Anton Bruckner spent the years between 1855 and 1868 working as a local composer and organist in the Old Cathedral, Linz.

[10] Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn (an Austrian town near the German border) and moved to Linz during his childhood.

His plan for one of the bell towers in Linz to play a theme from Bruckner's Fourth Symphony never came to pass.

[13] In addition to an ordnance depot Linz had a benzol plant which was bombed during the Oil Campaign of World War II.

Voestalpine is a large technology and capital goods group, founded as the "Reichswerke Hermann Göring" during World War II.

With the Blue Meeting concept, the local tourism association has developed a conference format which focuses on individual needs of participants and adapts to the idea of green meetings, therefore supporting waste minimisation, energy efficiency, climate-neutral travel, as well as regional added value.

Additionally, the annual market called "Linzer Marktfrühling" sets further accents and lures new customers with attractive offers.

Direct flights include Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Vienna with additional seasonal routes added during the summer and winter months, like for example Mallorca, Ibiza, Tenerife, several Greek islands (like Kos, Rhodes, Crete or Corfu) or Hurghada.

[18] The city tram network includes the Pöstlingbergbahn, a steeply graded tramway which climbs a small mountain at the northwest edge of the town.

Amongst the newer buildings is the Linz Hauptbahnhof station, which was designed by Wilhelm Holzbauer and added the Terminal Tower skyscraper as part of a mixed-use complex.

Between 2005 und 2011 it was voted Austria's most beautiful railway station seven times in a row by the Verkehrsclub Österreich.

The Wissensturm ("Tower of knowledge") with a height of about 63 metres, houses the public library and the Volkshochschule, an adult education centre.

In June, July and August the "Musikpavillon" is placed in the park where musical groups of different styles perform on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays free of charge.

[41] The Pflasterspektakel, an international street art festival, takes place each year in July in and around the Landstraße and the main square.

[44] The Ars Electronica Center can be considered as the centre of media art and attracts every year during its festival national and international guests to Linz.

Beyond that, it comprises the legacy as well as the archives of the most renowned media artist coming from Linz, Valie Export, who has received numerous national as well as international prizes.

[46] Since 2009, the Open Commons Linz initiative has made available a wide variety of "free" data: geo-data and statistical information having to do with city life, local government, recreation and tourism.

In June, July and August the "Musikpavillon" is placed in the park where musical groups of different styles perform on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays free of charge.

Its headquarters is located in the Urfahr district on the north bank of the Danube close to the Ars Electronica Centre and serves as venue for music events and other artistic and cultural activities.

Until the next screening of a film it took until 20 March 1897, when Johann Bläser's travelling cinema guested in the "Hotel of the Golden Ship".

The third stationary cinema, called "Kino Kolloseum", in town was founded around 1910 by the vaudeville operator Karl Roithner.

Typical dishes in Linz include not only the famous Linzer torte but also knödel and strudel in many different kinds of variations.

Some well-known chefs from Linz are Lukas Erich, who cooks in the Verdi and Georg Essig from the Der neue Vogelkäfig.

[54] The project "Linz 1938/1918", which started on 29 June 2018, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic (1918) and 80 years of "political union" (1938).

With this installation in the public space, presented in the city center, Linz fulfills its responsibility and commitment to maintaining peace with its declaration, making a contribution to dealing with the past.

[71] Linz is twinned with:[84] A previous town-twinning established in 1977 with Gabès, Tunisia was ended in 2016 due to lack of contact.