Quietly prosperous, Linz is the regional center of the antiques trade, so if you're interested in adding a piece or two to your collection, consider dropping into Richard Kirchmayr Antiquitäten, Bethlehemstrasse 5 (tel. 0732/770117), or any of the shops listed below.
Linz is home to a branch of the Vienna-based Dorotheum, Fabrikstrasse 26 (tel. 0732/7731320), an auction house that has allowed many socially prominent but impoverished families to keep their bills paid during hard times by means of discreet auctions of the family heirlooms. Auctions take place every Wednesday at 1:30pm, but there's plenty of time for viewing the objects during normal business hours in the week preceding the sale.
Less desirable objects are scattered randomly among the display tables at the Linzer Flohmarkt (Linz Flea Market), which takes place on the Hauptplatz every Saturday from March to mid-November from 7am to around 2pm, or until the inventories are depleted. Amid lots of junk and debris from estate sales throughout the region, it's still possible to find something charming and handcrafted.
At O. Ö. Heimatwerk, Landstrasse 31 (tel. 0732/7733770), you can buy local handicrafts such as pewter, intricately patterned silver, rustic ceramic pots, slippers, dresses, and dressmaking fabrics in regional patterns (lots of polka dots). The entrance to the airy, sunny store is under an arcade, although the shop windows face the busy pedestrian walkway of Linz's main shopping district.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
