New Cathedral

About

The New Cathedral of Linz, or Mariendom, is Austria’s largest church by capacity, a monumental neo‑Gothic masterpiece completed in 1924. Its honey‑coloured sandstone façade, soaring spire, and intricate tracery give it a serene grandeur that contrasts beautifully with the surrounding city. Although its tower is deliberately one metre lower than St. Stephen’s in Vienna — a symbolic nod to imperial modesty — the cathedral feels vast and luminous. Inside, the highlight is the extraordinary collection of stained‑glass windows. The “Linz Window” depicts the city’s history in vivid colour, while the “Art Nouveau Window” surprises with flowing, modern lines unusual for a Gothic revival church. Sunlight transforms the interior throughout the day, casting shifting patterns across the nave and side chapels. Visitors can explore the crypt, where Bishop Franz Joseph Rudigier — the driving force behind the cathedral’s construction — is buried. The spacious ambulatory reveals sculpted altars, devotional artworks, and quiet corners ideal for reflection. A guided ascent of the tower rewards you with one of the finest panoramas over Linz, the Danube, and the distant hills.

Linz Austria

Location

The New Cathedral (Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom), also called the Mariendom, is located at Domplatz 1 in the centre of Linz, Upper Austria, just a short walk from the Hauptplatz and the Old Town. It is a Roman Catholic neo-Gothic cathedral completed in 1924 and is the largest church in Austria by capacity, able to hold around 20,000 people. The cathedral is easy to reach by public transport: trams 1, 2, 3, 4 stop at Mozartkreuzung, and buses 45 and 46 stop at Mariendom, with the entrance just a few minutes away. Free entry is granted, and the cathedral is open daily, with slightly different hours on Sundays and holidays. Near the New Cathedral, you can see many of Linz’s most important sights. The Hauptplatz (Main Square) with its historic buildings, the Old Town Hall, the Old Cathedral (Alter Dom), the Landhaus, and the Bishop’s Residence are all within a few minutes’ walk. The Danube promenade and Donaupark, the Brucknerhaus concert hall, the Lentos Art Museum, and the Ars Electronica Center are also close by, making the Mariendom a convenient starting point for a cultural day in Linz.