Linz is a city with the oldest sweet of its own in the world. The Linzer Torte recipe was first written down in 1653, before many other famous European desserts appeared in the history books. Beyond its hometown sweet, Linz sits in an Austria with a deep coffeehouse culture, the Kaffeehauskultur, and food like Schnitzel, Strudel, and Knödel that makes you understand why Austrians love their own home cooking so much.
#1 Linzer Torte
Linz's proudest first thing, confirmed by historians as the sweet with the oldest recorded recipe in the world, dating to 1653. The pastry is made from ground nuts (almonds or hazelnuts) mixed with butter, sugar, eggs, and spices, baked until crisp and fragrant. The filling is a sweet-tart raspberry or blackcurrant jam, and the top is laid out in a pretty lattice. Eat it with Austrian coffee or tea. It isn't overly sweet but it has depth, and the warm scent of spices is hard to forget.
- Konditorei Jindrak on Herrenstrasse is the most famous shop in Linz, open for over 100 years, selling Linzer Torte both to eat in and in takeaway boxes.
- A vacuum-packed Linzer Torte keeps for 4-6 weeks, which makes it a great gift to bring home.
- Don't confuse it with Linzer Cookies (the star-shaped biscuits), which are a different thing despite the similar name. The Torte is the round-topped tart.
#2 Wiener Schnitzel
The best ambassador for Austrian food. Veal (Kalbfleisch) is pounded almost translucent, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, then fried in plenty of butter until it turns a soft, bright golden crisp. The iron rule is that a real Schnitzel must use veal only; if it uses pork, it has to be called Schnitzel Wiener Art. It's served with lemon and boiled potatoes or pickles, and the portion is often much bigger than the plate, more than enough to fill you up on its own.
- Order Schnitzel vom Kalb to confirm it's real veal. It costs more than the pork version, but the taste is clearly different.
- Squeeze the lemon over it the moment it's served, and add no other sauce. The plain crisp breading with sour lemon is the classic combination.
- Gasthaus spots in the old town are usually better than hotel restaurants, and at lunch the Mittagsmenü (lunch set) is cheaper than dinner.
#3 Apfelstrudel
The most famous Austrian sweet in the world. Wafer-thin stretched pastry wraps a filling of thinly sliced apple mixed with sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and soft breadcrumbs, baked until the pastry turns a light golden crisp. Eat it hot with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, with the warm scent of cinnamon stirring up memories. In Austria, stretching Strudel dough is a skill passed down in families for generations, and good dough has to be thin enough to read a newspaper through it, as the legend goes.
- Eat Apfelstrudel hot, fresh from the oven, not chilled from the display case. Ask the staff whether it's frisch aus dem Ofen.
- Strudel goes better with Schlagobers (Austrian whipped cream) than with German Schlagsahne, because it's richer.
- Some shops have Topfenstrudel (with a Quark cheese filling) and Marillenknödel as options for those who don't like apple.
#4 Kaiserschmarrn
Austria's national dessert, with a legend that it was created for Emperor Franz Joseph I. It's made from a light, fluffy pancake batter mixed with raisins, fried in butter until cooked, then torn with a fork into uneven pieces big and small, dusted heavily with icing sugar, and served hot with Zwetschkenröster, a sweet-tart plum sauce. The taste is soft and buttery, light and easy, not too sweet. You can eat it as a dessert or as a light Austrian meal.
- Good Kaiserschmarrn has to be fluffy, not heavy. If it's dense like a Thai pancake, the recipe is off, so feel free to ask whether it's made fresh.
- It's served hot right away. Cold Schmarrn turns dense and loses a lot of its flavor, so finish it before it cools.
- Some places let you choose between Zwetschkenröster (plum) and Apfelmus (apple sauce). Pick whichever you like, as both go well.
#5 Knödel
The side dish that is the soul of Austrian food. Knödel are boiled dough dumplings that come in several kinds: Semmelknödel made from stale bread soaked in milk, and Kartoffelknödel made from potato. They're served with braised meat, roast chicken, or Gulasch (paprika beef), and their distinctively soft texture soaks up sauce and meat juices beautifully. In Linz and Upper Austria, Speck (smoked bacon) is tucked inside to add an extra savory note.
- Order Knödel with beef Gulasch or Sauerbraten (vinegar-marinated beef) for the most classic pairing.
- Tyrolean Speckknödel (with smoked Speck inside) can be found at places with an Upper Austrian menu, and the flavor is richer.
- The dumplings are very large, and most places serve 1-2 per plate, which is already enough for one person.
#6 Austrian Coffee Culture
Austrian coffeehouse culture has been listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. A Kaffeehaus in Linz isn't just a place to drink coffee, it's a social institution where you can sit all day on a single order. A Melange is the basic Austrian coffee, espresso with hot milk and milk foam. An Einspänner is iced espresso in a tall glass topped with whipped cream. Every cup always comes with a small glass of water.
- You can sit as long as you like without ordering more. This value is the heart of the Kaffeehaus, not rushing.
- Melange suits the morning, an iced Einspänner after lunch, and a Mokka (strong espresso) after dinner.
- Cafe Traxlmayr is the oldest and most famous coffee house in Linz, open since 1847, with a wonderful atmosphere.
Where to stay in Linz for this trip
A well-located hotel means less commuting and more sightseeing. Here are real, top-rated stays in Linz — compare Agoda · Booking · Trip.com in one click.
Austria Classic Hotel Wolfinger
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Hotel Am Domplatz - Adult Only
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Park Inn by Radisson Linz
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Star Inn Hotel Linz Promenadengalerien
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Tours, tickets & activities in Linz
Day tours, attraction tickets and travel essentials for Linz — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
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Before You Pack
The best gift to bring back from Linz is a vacuum-packed Linzer Torte from a local bakery. It keeps for several weeks, and you can buy it at Jindrak or Konditorei pastry shops across the city. Beyond that, chocolate and Laugenstangerl bread rolls are also great-value gifts.