Postlingberg

The Pöstlingberg rises about two hundred and fifty metres over the Danube on the north side of Linz, with a twin-towered baroque pilgrimage church of 1748 on the summit that is the city's landmark from every direction. The Pöstlingbergbahn, opened in 1898, climbs it on a gradient of about one in nine and was for a long time described as the steepest adhesion railway in the world - running on friction alone, with no rack - and after a 2009 rebuild it was regauged and extended to run right into the Hauptplatz, so the tram now goes from the middle of the city to the summit in about twenty minutes. Also on the hill are the Grottenbahn, a dragon-hauled miniature railway through a fairy-tale grotto in an old fort, and a view over Linz and the Danube.

What you actually see

• A very steep adhesion tramway - about one in nine, running on friction alone.
• A twin-towered pilgrimage church - the 1748 building that marks the city skyline.
• The Grottenbahn - the dragon train through a fairy-tale grotto in an old fort.
• A view over Linz - the city, the Danube and the industrial plants beyond.

When to go

All year; the Grottenbahn is seasonal. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The Grottenbahn closes for part of the year and is aimed at small children. The summit has a hotel and car park as well as the church. Haze and the industrial haze over Linz can cut the view.

Nearby

Linz Hauptplatz is at the bottom of the tram; the Ars Electronica Center is on the same bank.