Ah, Linz. As much as I love Vienna, Linz has completely charmed and surprised me. It has an urban flair and cultural savvy mixed with small town friendliness. Plus, it’s a mere four hours away from Vienna by train! We got a great deal from West Travel that included train tickets and an overnight stay at Arcotel Nike for €89 each, so we got on a morning train on August 17 for a short trip to third largest city in Austria.

5 things I love about Linz

❤ Linz Main Square – the impressive Pestsäule, the classic buildings, and the colorful Saturday market are so picturesque and full of excitement

❤ The Marco Polo exhibition at Schlossmuseum – Marco! A true inspiration to any traveler. Polo!

❤ The Höhenrausch.3 exhibit at the OÖ Kulturquartier – the best, most awesome way to see this beautiful city. The view from the towers is just breathtaking.

❤ Landstraße – I didn’t go shopping; walking along this pretty shopping street was enough. So charming.

❤ The original Linzer Torte at Jindrak Konditorei – Sacher Torte is to Vienna as LInzer Torte is to Linz. A must-try!