Three cultural trails offer different ways to explore Leonding: they lead to themes of fortification history, archaeology and urban development. Other highlights include the Turm 9 City Museum, distinctive church architecture, art, and options for a swimming or wellness break. This gives you the chance to explore different interests during your stay and focus on what suits your trip.
Choose a cultural trail by theme and length
The three cultural trails were revised in 2019. Their lengths and themes provide a practical guide to choosing one: the Tower Trail is 6.2 kilometres long and focuses on the Maximilian fortification, known as the “Tower Line”. The five-kilometre Kürnberg Forest Trail passes through Kürnberg Forest to archaeological sites and finds. The four-kilometre City Trail focuses on architecture; buildings help tell the story of Leonding’s transformation from village to city.
The trails therefore differ not just by a few kilometres, but also in the perspective they offer on the area. The fortification, archaeological evidence in the forest, and the city’s development each provide a distinct thematic focus. If you want to choose based on distance, the City Trail is the shortest of the three, while the Tower Trail is the longest. The themes described can also help you choose between architecture and local history, archaeology, and military history.
Turm 9 and Leonding’s history
The Leonding City Museum in Turm 9 houses “Leondine”, a Stone Age woman who lived around 6,300 years ago. Turm 9 presents the region’s history across more than 600 square metres, with archaeological and natural history exhibits. Two permanent exhibitions are complemented by educational programmes. Apollonia is another name for Turm 9. The building is one of a total of 32 towers once built as a defensive system around Linz.
The 44er Haus and Kürnberg Castle offer further historical points of interest. The 44er Haus was built in 1831/32 as Leonding’s third schoolhouse. Kürnberg Castle was first mentioned in 1286. These two dates offer different insights into local history: one points to the development of education, while the other marks an early written mention of the castle.
Church architecture and contemporary art
The two parish churches also offer distinctive architectural features. The Old Parish Church bears traces of several architectural styles. The New Parish Church is octagonal. Above the centrally positioned altar is an octagonal glass pyramid that directs light onto the altar. The unusual shape and the altar’s placement form a cohesive architectural theme.
The 44er Gallery offers another cultural perspective. Since KUVA was founded in 2014, the gallery has hosted a varied programme of contemporary art exhibitions from the region and beyond. The exhibition programme may vary. Ruflinger Dorfstadl hosts youth, cultural and traditional events. The cultural offering thus ranges from historic buildings and regional history to contemporary art and events.
Market, outdoor pool and wellness
The Leonding weekly market offers regional fruit and vegetables, savoury specialities, homemade treats and other farm produce. It gives you a glimpse of the region’s goods, so you don’t have to focus your entire stay on historical sights.
For a swimming break, Leonding outdoor pool has heated pools and a heated indoor area. Swimming is available from May to September. Panorama Wellness offers a different kind of experience, with an open-air sauna courtyard, a whirlpool with a glass pyramid, plunge and Kneipp pools, and a relaxation area overlooking the Alpine foothills. Panorama Wellness is accessible by bus routes 11, 19 and 191 and tram lines 3 and 4.
When choosing what to do during your stay in Leonding, you can start by considering your interests: cultural trails, the museum and architecture offer a different focus from the market, outdoor pool or wellness. The lengths of the three trails help you compare the hiking options; seasonal swimming and the public transport routes listed above provide further practical details for planning.
Discover more destinations: Pucking, Kirchberg-Thening, Asten, Sankt Marien, Sankt Florian, Traun, Oftering, Hargelsberg.
See the overview of the wider travel region: Linz-Land.
