Day Trip to Beautiful Linz am Rhein

Linz am Rhein is another beautiful and charming village on the Rhine River that invites you to stroll through historic cobblestoned streets and admire picturesque half-timbered houses. Since I’m obsessed with these fairytale villages, I couldn’t resist visiting Linz am Rhein. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your trip to Linz am Rhein.

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Why should you visit Linz am Rhein?

• Beautiful half-timbered houses
• Full of interesting history
• Perfect for snapping some photos
• Only 15 minutes away from Schloss Drachenburg

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History of Linz am Rhein

Linz am Rhein is also known as the ‚colorful city‚ and is one of the most visited cities on the Rhine River. Visitors will find many well-preserved old streets and half-timbered houses with numerous restaurants.

These half-timbered houses which brought Linz the name ‚colorful city‘ were built around 1500.

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The statue on the so-called butter market (German: Buttermarkt) is representative for all market women who came from up to 20 kilometres away to sell their goods here.

In 874 Linz was first mentioned in an official document. A few centuries later, in 1365, a customs office for ships was established in Linz. The construction of the Linz Castle began, which – like most castles on the Rhine River – should serve as a customs castle.

It fulfilled this task for many centuries until tariffs were lifted at the beginning of the 19th century. Today you can still visit the castle and its ‚fear hole‚, a dungeon with a torture chamber.

Some short history facts about Linz am Rhein

• Unfortunately, in 1391 a fire destroyed about 70% of the city.
• In 1462 the Mother of God chapel was consecrated on today’s market place and demolished again in 1817.
• 1475 siege of the city by imperial troops in the Neuss War.
• 1583 occupation in the Cologne War.
• 1632 occupied by the Swedes in the Thirty Years‘ War.
• In 1815 Linz became Prussian
• 1945 bombings from World War II caused huge damage.

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What to do and see in Linz

Rhine Gate

Besides the Linz Castle which was built to serve as a customs castle, Linz still has its original Rhine Gate which were built in 1320. It’s part of the city fortifications and the old customs house is still located next to the tower.

Interesting are the many flood marks on the front and back of the Rhine Gate which remind that the cit has often been hit by floods of the Rhine. On the tower you can also see the coat of arms of the former sovereign Elector Ernst of Bavaria from 1599.

Town Hall

The town hall, completed in 1515, is actually the oldest town hall in Rhineland-Palatinate, whereby the clock was only installed in 1737. Fun Fact: The ground floor was former used as a warehouse and office.

Market Square

The idyllic market square of Linz is surrounded by old half-timbered houses from five centuries. A fountain with movable figures should remind that the people always supervise the work of the city council.

The market square received the second name ‚Kastenholzplatz‚ in memory of the former mayor Augustin Kastenholz, who was executed on the square by the Swedes in 1633.

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Arrival in Linz am Rhein

Linz am Rhein is located directly on the Rhine River and is easy to reach by car, train or ferry. Especially if you visit Drachenburg Castle on the same day, it’s very easy to visit Linz!

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When should you visit Linz?

I recommend visiting Linz am Rhein in summer, but actually every season fits perfectly. However, I myself love to walk on the Rhine River and if you’d want to take advantage of the boat trip, you should visit during warmer days to be able to enjoy it to the fullest.

In late summer, you’ll have the perfect time to visit for delicious regional wine.

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How long should you stay in Linz

Half a day is enough time to see, experience, and enjoy Linz am Rhein. I’d definitely recommend visiting Schloss Drachenburg first and then Linz, since it’s so close to each other.

After spending your day in Königswinter and Linz, you should definitely try to find accommodation nearby. Bonn and Cologne are nearby bigger cities, but Linz am Rhein also has some cute hotels. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend one since I live in Cologne and was able to enjoy it as a day trip. If you’re staying in Cologne anyways, you should definitely consider to do this as a day trip as well.

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Conclusion & Our Opinion

Overall, we found the city beautiful, but not as fairytale-like as Bacharach, Monreal or Monschau. Nevertheless, it’s a very nice city with with rich history and interesting sights, cute cafés and flair. Since we were at Drachenburg Castle anyways, it was the perfect way to end the day.

Other posts that I think you might like:

• 5 Photo Worthy Day Trips from Cologne
• A Guide to Schloss Drachenburg in Königswinter
• How to visit Burg Eltz in the German Eifel
• 17 Hilarious Things About Germans That Are Actually True
• Germany Bucket List

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