Wels is Upper Austria’s second-largest city, built on the site of the Roman settlement of Ovilava, one of the largest cities in the province of Noricum. The Stadtmuseum in the Burg Wels holds a substantial Roman collection. The compact medieval Stadtplatz above it is the practical visitor center. Westbahn connections from Vienna take about 80 minutes; from Salzburg about 50 minutes. Wels works best as a 2-4 hour transit stop or as a base for the wider Upper Austrian region. The Wels Trade Fair (one of Austria’s major agricultural and commercial fair venues) adds occasional visitor density that has nothing to do with historical tourism. For travelers on the Vienna-Salzburg corridor who want an Austrian provincial city off the main circuit, Wels earns the stop.
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Wels
The Roman emperor Caracalla died in Ovilava, the Roman predecessor of Wels, in 268 CE, which makes Wels one of the more historically significant minor stops on the Upper Austrian travel circuit.