Linz.

Linz sits on the Danube in Upper Austria, where a long industrial history runs alongside a quietly experimental cultural scene. The city grew around steel and chemical works, and that past still shows in the contrast between grand historic squares and converted factory spaces now used for art and music. The Hauptplatz remains the centre of the old town.

Contemporary culture is just as present. The Ars Electronica Center, on the riverbank, has made Linz a reference point for digital and media art, with changing exhibitions on technology and creativity. The Lentos Art Museum holds a broad collection of Austrian painting and sculpture beside the Danube.

Above the rooftops, the Pöstlingberg hill carries a pilgrimage basilica with wide views over the river valley. Each autumn, the Ars Electronica Festival turns parts of the city into open-air galleries and performance spaces.