Hauptplatz

Hauptplatz forms the central square of Linz, Austria, beside the Danube and close to the city’s historic core. Its elongated rectangle covers about 13,140 square metres, measuring roughly 219 metres by 60 metres. Narrow-fronted buildings extend deep behind their facades, reflecting the value of land around this longstanding marketplace.

Laid out around 1230, the square hosted markets, annual fairs, public ceremonies, and sometimes harsher spectacles. A tournament celebrating the wedding of Archduke Ferdinand and Anna of Hungary took place here in 1521. The Old Town Hall, built in the early sixteenth century, still faces the square beside the Feichtinger House’s seasonal glockenspiel. Nearby, the bridgehead buildings were completed in 1947 and now include part of the Linz University of Arts.

The white-marble Trinity Column rises about 20 metres from the centre, built between 1717 and 1723 by Sebastian Stumpfegger. An octagonal Neptune Fountain, returned here in 1979, displays the coats of arms of seven regional princely cities. Tram tracks cross the square, while arcades, cafés, shops, and routes toward the Danube Park keep the surrounding city in motion. Look for the Roman-family relief at Hauptplatz 10 and the elephant Soliman relief at number 21.