New Cathedral Linz

Also known as Mariendom

The Mariendom in Linz is the largest church in Austria by interior floor space and the result of a deliberate imperial-era decision to keep it slightly shorter than St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. The spire reaches 134.8 meters; the Stephansdom tops out at 136.4 meters. That 1.6-meter difference was not an accident.

The Mariendom (New Cathedral) in Linz is the largest church in Austria by interior floor space and a showcase of Neo-Gothic architecture, the 19th-century revival of medieval pointed arches and tracery. Construction began in 1862 and took 62 years to complete. The spire reaches 134.8 meters, 1.6 meters shorter than St. Stephen’s in Vienna, a deliberate constraint. The interior stained glass windows (the Linzer Fenster) trace the history of the city across the nave walls; one window, from 1945, depicts the wartime bombing of Linz. Bishop Rudigier commissioned the building as a symbol of Catholic revival and was briefly imprisoned by the Austrian government for resisting church policy. Free entry. Monday to Saturday 7:30-18:00, Sunday 8:00-19:00. 10-minute walk from Linz Hauptbahnhof.