Description of the attraction
Wels is the second largest city in Upper Austria, located on the Traun river, 30 kilometers from Linz. The population of the city is almost 60,000 people. Wels is located at an altitude of 317 meters above sea level.
Wels is a very old town, in 120 it was named Ovilava Municipality. In about 215, it was renamed in honor of the Emperor Caracalla. At that time, the city already had 18,000 inhabitants. However, Wels lost its significance with the end of Roman rule. In 477 the city was completely destroyed by the Heruli.
In the Middle Ages it served as a small trade center. In 1222, during the reign of the Babenberg family, Wels again received the status of a city. A document from 1328 was found in the archives, which proves the important role of Wels as a trade city and fairground. The advantageous position of the city next to the river routes allowed it to gain important positions in the region. Wels developed rapidly together with neighboring Linz. In 1519, Emperor Maximilian I died in Wels.
During World War II, the Mauthausen concentration camp was located nearby.
Currently, the city regularly hosts international agricultural fairs. But there are many historical monuments preserved here, which are of interest for viewing.
The baroque Ledererturm gate leads to the city's central square, Stadtplatz. There is a late baroque town hall and a water tower from the second half of the 16th century. The parish church of St. John is decorated with a Romanesque portal and a unique 14th century stained glass window in the presbytery. Here, on the square, there was once a monastery, of which only the Kremsmünstererhof, built in the Rococo style, with a courtyard decorated with arcades, has survived. The Imperial Palace - the former castle of Wels, mentioned in documents from the beginning of the 8th century, is now given over to the exposition of the local history museum.
