Austria

Linz, not industrial at all !

Today we crossed another boarder in Austria. Paloma is tucked in under the trees in Badesee Steyregg (N48.280080 E14.366540), enjoying some much needed shade.


Stopping off at the first fuel station to part with our €8.90 for our road tax sticker, I had though this was going to be one of thoese difficult form filling in exercises, so armed with all our paperwork and google translate at the ready, we entered and asked for the vignette, yes that will be €8.90 for 10 day came the reply – no forms no nothing !


So sticker attached to the windscreen off we went following the Danube river all the way towards Linz.


 According to our battered and tried copy of Europe on a shoestring, Linz, ” Austria’s second largest city is industrial by nature and largely overlooked by tourists”. This poor place gets a whole 3 paragraphs explaining where to eat and where to sleep. Having read the blurb you would just give it a miss ! 

But something in the back of my brain was nagging away at me that it was a place I wanted to see.

It came to me in the middle of night a few days ago after we started to research Austria and places to see, yes that’s it, Hilter annouced that Germany was taking over Austria there!

So here we are, first off the city gets a huge tick from me, massive amount of Free parking, yes take note England they want us to visit and we can park for free ! 

Secondly it also seems to be a prime docking sight for river curise boats, these people are paying thousands to be taken to interesting places. 

Linz is perched across the Danube about halfway between Salzburg and Vienna, in 2009 it was the European capital of culture, so hopefully we  will have something to see.

I think to be fair to Linz the guide had done it a disservice, if you expect to see nothing of note, somehow you don’t look to hard…..,


So I was right about one thing Hilter was born near by and grew up in the city of Linz, once he had left it was Thirty years before his return  in March 1938, He had returned as the triumphant leader of the German Reich. He spoke from the balcony of the Town Hall, proclaiming the union of Germany and Austria in the Greater German Reich. The balcony today is just that an unremarkable balcony on what is a lovely building but just a balcony.

As we toured the town, I couldn’t help think that the description of “industrial by nature” was miles out as the town centre was alive and vibrant, you can see and feel the student population from the local universities.


Second tick, the local bakery was giving away free cake – yummy !


I guess she going to have give these a miss in the future as another day and another Girdel shop , I think it might be a hint ?


Across the river we saw the arts centres, which at night is an Led light show, not quite the same in the bright sunshine, but a modern classic I’m sure.


For our nights stay we have nipped out of the city into a small village, thinking we had found a perfect quite spot. But as we sat down for our tea,the area started to fill rapidly and we were treated to a marching brass band practice session !


Paul.

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