History and UNESCO in Upper Austria

**Tassilo* tells the story...**

… of the world’s oldest salt mine. Of submerged pile dwellings and Roman legionnaires. He takes us to magnificent monasteries and mighty ruins, guides us through beautiful cities and shows us the magical places built for summer retreats. Because where we come from determines who we are.

*Tassilo III. (741-796), Duke of Bavaria. He is credited with founding Kremsmünster Abbey in Upper Austria — legend has it at the site where his son had a hunting accident. One of Upper Austria’s most significant art treasures, the Tassilo Chalice, is attributed to him.

UNESCO World Heritage

Upper Austria boasts four UNESCO World Heritage Sites — the Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut region, the pile dwellings at Lake Attersee and Lake Mondsee, the Roman Empire’s Danube Limes and the ancient beech forests in the Kalkalpen National Park.

Das beleuchtete Lentos in der Abenddämmerung

Linz is changing.

From a steel city to an electrifying cultural laboratory with a young, creative scene. Linz, a cultural capital and UNESCO City of Media Arts, invites you to embark on a journey into the future.

Discover cities

Gaze upon the confluence of the Steyr and Enns rivers, circle the city walls of Freistadt, or stroll through the Kaiserpark in Bad Ischl. An exploratory tour of Upper Austria’s cities.

City on two rivers

Winding alleys in the old town, magnificent town houses on the town square, the marriage of the rivers Enns and Steyr. The city of Steyr is at the same time a focal point of early industrial history and gateway to the natural paradise of the Kalkalpen National Park.

Steyr

Zwei Damen beim Shopping-Bummel in der Schmidtgasse in der Welser Innenstadt.

2,000 years of history

Under the name "Ovilava", Wels was the capital of the province of Ufernoricum 2,000 years ago. Attentive city strollers will find traces of the Romans here in all kinds of places and squares. the central location in the heart of Upper Austria also makes Wels a popular destination for shopping excursions.

Wels

Schiffsanlegestelle und der Rathausplatz in Gmunden am Traunsee.

Mundane by the lake

The view from Gmundner Rathausplatz across Lake Traunsee to the Traunstein is a "must see" for every visitor to Upper Austria and the Salzkammergut. The town on the northern shore of Lake Traunsee is also known for the Seeschloss Ort and for Gmundner ceramics, which embody tradition with style.

Gmunden

The City of the Emperor

Emperor Franz Joseph loved "his" Ischl so much that he came to the Salzkammergut every summer. Strolling through the town, the imperial legacy is always present. And yet there is more to discover here: a cable car ride up the Katrin, the "heart mountain" of the people of Ischl. Relaxing in the Salzkammergut thermal baths. And, and, and...

Bad Ischl

Zwei Radfahrer im mittelalterlichen Stadtgraben von Freistadt im Mühlviertel.

Medieval brewery town

As a trading hub on the way to Bohemia, Freistadt was already important in the Middle Ages. Even today, it is possible to take a walk around the preserved city wall. But Freistadt has always been a town of brewers. If you love beer and want to find out what a brewing community is, you should definitely stop by here.

Freistadt

Blick auf die farbenfrohen Barockfassaden der Silberzeile am Oberen Stadtplatz in Schärding.

Baroque town on the Inn

The colourful baroque facades of Silberzeile on the Upper Town Square are the landmark of Schärding am Inn. Built close to the water, this town has always been a bridge town between Upper Austria and neighbouring Bavaria on the other bank of the river.

Schärding

Blick über den Hauptplatz von Ried im Innkreis mit dem barocken Dietmarbrunnen im Zentrum.

Brewing art and baroque culture

Bavarian Baroque also characterises the town centre of Ried. After all, the Innviertel region only found its way to Upper Austria in 1779. Ried is a town of the art of brewing and cultivated, cosy hospitality. However, the shopping and trade fair town was also the seat of the world-famous Schwanthaler family of sculptors.

Ried im Innkreis

Blick über den historischen Stadtplatz von Braunau am Inn.

Jewel in the Innviertel

The town of Braunau lies on the River Inn between Bavaria and Upper Austria. A gem, with many surprising highlights. For example, one of the highest church towers in Austria. A unique medieval bathhouse. And one of the longest surviving beards with a curious history.

Braunau am Inn

Summer retreats in the Salzkammergut region

The Salzkammergut region has long been a popular retreat, a place to unwind, a source of inspiration and a workplace where grand works were created. Figures like Gustav Klimt and Gustav Mahler spent their summers by Lake Attersee.

Blick von Schloss Weinberg in Kefermarkt über die weite Hügellandschaft des Mühlviertels.

Discover castles and abbeys

Where emperors resided, princes surveyed their lands and monks cleared forests, performed construction and erected magnificent buildings. A selection of castles and abbeys that you should not miss.

Castles with history

Castles are history turned into stone. The homes of former noble families can open a window into a fascinating world. For example, Greinburg Castle, Austria’s oldest residential castle, is owned by the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Starhemberg Castle in Eferding, on the other hand, tells a diverse family history spanning centuries.