Traveling in Germany

Linz is the third largest city in Austria, located on the Danube River, there is a beautiful castle and a huge Christmas market in December. It turned out that in Germany there is also a city with this name, located on the banks of the Rhine, and although it is much smaller in size, its beauty can rival its Austrian namesake. It is believed that the German Linz is the most colorful city on the Rhine, its colorful houses have been preserved for centuries.

I reached Linz by water, taking the boat Moby Dick from the city of Bonn. The trip was very picturesque, stopping or passing many beautiful towns and castles. Particularly interesting was the castle St. Petersburg erected high in the mountains, today it was turned into a 5-star hotel. On the other hill there were ancient ruins, no less romantic. Imperceptibly, our boat reached the town of Konigswinter. It seemed a small cozy town,  with beautiful painted houses along the banks of the Rhine, and behind them on the hill stood St. Petersburg Castle with the mysterious ruins.  

We also passed several islands in the river, one of which had an abbey. We passed the town of Unkel, famous for its ancient church of St. Pantaleus, then I made a photo of the beautiful cathedral in Remagen. Most of the passengers got off here, but I continued to the next stop at the town of Linz, the most colorful city on the Rhine.

I hadn’t planned this boat trip and hadn’t read anything about this town. Finding myself at the small port for tourist boats, I was uncertain from where to start, then I headed to the Stadtmitte / City Center sign. I descended into an underpass that took me across the street, right in front of a fortress gate and the medieval wall. As I passed through it, I realized that Linz was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. It was as if I had come to the shore of a fairy tale. In the old part of the town, all the houses were not only colorful, but also very beautiful in a typical German style. The narrow cobbled streets separated the houses from each other as I tried to photograph each one of them. It was Easter and this Easter seemed to be very colorful, if not with eggs, then at least with colorful houses. The old architecture literally made me gasp in front of every house. That is when I realised that I liked more beautiful medieval towns than big and noisy cities. Every house in Linz was unique and I was delighted to walk through all the streets that were pedestrian in the old town.

I especially liked the market square with the two fountains. Inspired and happy, I didn’t even feel the cold, although some snowflakes started to fall. The snow intensified and it was hard taking pictures, but not taking lovely memories.

For the short time being in the city, I had already identified several favorite squares, including the one with a fountain, in which there was a figure of an elderly woman seated. There was a written text Butermarketfrau / Woman selling butter. In this square, all the houses were charming, especially the green one with the inscription Tapeten Adams. Just when I thought I’d seen it all, I came across Linzburg, the castle in the city that has now been transformed into a restaurant and shop. Then I went out into some square, probably made for skateboards, as there were facilities for them, and beautiful glass pyramids were erected in front of the old houses, a charming combination of modernism with classicism.

Full of impressions and photos, I went back to the port, enjoying the new warm boat Poseidon, which brought me back to Bonn. The small German town of Linz is a real medieval treasure, a wonderful fairy tale on the Rhine River.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT LINZ:

Location: The small German town of Linz is located on the Rhine in the district of Neuwied, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region.  
Area: 17.98 sq.km
Population: 5,828 people (2013 data)
Official language: German
Altitude: 62 m
Climate: oceanic climate. The city is located south of Cologne in the Rhine Valley – this is one of the warmest regions in Germany.

Trip Tips for Linz:

Getting in: the nearest airport is Cologne Bonn (CGN) that is 44 km from the town.
Best time to visit: all year round
Typical food and drink: Germany is known for its baked sausages and beer, and Linz on the Rhine is no exception. There are many picturesque restaurants and cafés in the town.
Places to visit: The whole town consists of a wonderful ensemble of wooden dotted houses, there is also a castle.