Altstadt 12 (Linz)

The Linzer Markthalle stands in the heart of Linz’s old town, a stone building first taken over by the city in 1524. From 1923 it served as a weigh-house and armoury before becoming a market hall in the late 1950s. By the 1960s and 1970s it housed grocers, a butcher and a florist under one roof. The hall’s long history is matched by its recent revival. In 2015 the protected building was sold to an investor group that restored it completely. Upstairs a modern event hall with lighting, sound and stage equipment now hosts a dance school most days. Downstairs an antiques dealer trades among the original market stalls. Visitors find high ceilings, plain white walls and a single long room on the ground floor. The upstairs hall is plain but well lit, with a sprung dance floor and tiered seating. Outside, the old town’s narrow lanes and squares lie just metres away.