Austria Guide - Wolfram B. Starczewski - guided Tours

Guided Tours 2026

Linz Highlights Tour (also in English/Italian)

Discover the Unexpected: From Celtic origins to the Habsburg imperial residence,

the founding of the Danube Monarchy, to the UNESCO City of Media Arts and European

Capital of Culture—Linz is full of surprises: Stroll through the charming alleys of the

Old Town with its enchanting courtyards, admire magnificent Baroque facades and the largest

church in Austria—Linz is simply one of a kind!

Linz connects

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Cultural Exchange and Diversity in Our City

For centuries, cultural exchange and diversity have shaped Linz’s cityscape and our

cultural tradition. From Romans, medieval merchants, and artisans, to Italian architects

and artists to our new neighbors from all over the world! Diversity is everywhere in Linz, and the city

is full of fascinating stories. Immerse yourself in the “unknown” and let yourself be surprised by the

secrets Linz has in store for you!

A Street

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1,000 facets: Lederergasse

One of Linz’s oldest suburban streets stretches from the Old Town to the Harbor District: first a

picturesque, narrow alley, then a residential area, an industrial zone, and at the end lies an idyll of

single-family homes surrounded by gardens—right next to the highway. Along it are—or rather, were—a soup kitchen,

the “Europaschule,” the “Maternity and Foundling Home,” a woolen goods factory, and a slaughterhouse. A street as diverse as

the city and its residents!

Urfahr and the People of Urfahr

From a Mühlviertel village to a Linz residential neighborhood: Urfahr

Of Danube fishermen, washerwomen, and “small-scale craftswomen”; of painters, master builders, and Jewish

manufacturers, of resistance fighters and the mayor beneath a portrait of Stalin. In search of

Urfahr’s unique character, its picturesque charm in the heart of a major industrial city.

Architecture in Linz: From 1900 to the Present

Linz is a city in transition: once rural in character, then socialist-oriented during the First Republic

, it eventually became a modern industrial and cultural (capital) city. In the process,

outstanding architecture that doesn’t always immediately catch the eye. So let’s take a second,

closer look!

The Villas on the Schlossberg and Römerberg

Where the Romans and Habsburgs once settled, many architectural gems emerged during the Secessionist period in the

1910s. A stroll through an elegant Linz villa district

Built for Everyone: “Red Linz”

Parkbad and Volksküche, Diesterweg and Weberschule—Linz’s director of urban planning, Curt Kühne,

and his colleague Julius Schulte were dedicated to creating a socially oriented city 100 years ago. Their buildings remain relevant to this day—not only architecturally but also socially. A

discovery tour through “Red Linz”!

Linz Becomes a Major City

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an architectural tour by bike or scooter

How Linz developed in the 20th century: From the social (residential) buildings in “Red Linz,” the

“Hitler buildings” and “ugly ducklings” of the 1960s to its designation as European Capital of Culture!

From (Neo-)Gothic to New Objectivity

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A Guide to Linz’s Architectural Styles

Architecture in Linz is characterized by a rich stylistic diversity. But what

actually behind the fact that buildings from different eras are so diverse? Why do

Baroque buildings look so completely different from those of the Renaissance period? And why does the New Cathedral

resemble St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, even though more than 500 years separate them? A walking tour that invites you to

take a closer look.

Austrian Contemporary History in Linz: 1918 to 1955

In 1918, the Danube Monarchy collapsed—a monarchy for which the foundation stone had once been laid in the city parish church during the

“Imperial Wedding” of Austria with Bohemia and Hungary. At the Hotel Weinzinger

in 1938, the “Anschluss” also sealed the (temporary) end of Austria. In 1934, the Austrian Civil War began at the Hotel

Schif, and between 1945 and 1955, the border

between the Soviet and U.S. zones ran right through the heart of Linz.

Also:

Vienna Architecture Tour: Architectural Diversity at Vienna’s Karlsplatz

From the imperial St. Charles’ Church to the bourgeois cultural buildings of the Gründerzeit era—the Musikverein,

the Künstlerhaus, and the Handelsakademie—from the Secession Building and the apartment buildings so characteristic of Vienna

to the Art Nouveau gems of the city’s tram stations and the modern building of the Wien Museum: The

Karlsplatz is one of Vienna’s most important areas! Over the course of the last 300 years, it has taken on its

architectural character. A journey through the icons of European architectural history in Vienna, featuring

fascinating stories hidden behind the facades.

Gmunden

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“Little Vienna” in the Salzkammergut:

Stories of the summer resort in Gmunden on Lake Traunsee—from the salt office to the

upper-class villas

The emperor used to spend his summers here. The imperial court, dignitaries, artists, intellectuals, the nobility, and

the upper middle class followed him, transforming the salt-producing town of Gmunden into a sophisticated “Little Vienna” by the lake.

Salzburg

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Highlight Tour: (also in English)

Where history meets music and Alpine idyll—a stroll through Salzburg’s picturesque

alleys with fascinating stories ranging from its geological origins to over 100 years of the Salzburg

Festival!

Český Krumlov: (also in English)

Romantic Highlight Tour through Český Krumlov—a picturesque gem

Mauthausen, Gusen, and Hartheim Memorial Sites (also in English/Italian)

All guided tours last approximately two hours and can be booked for up to 25 people each.