We visited the Urfahraner Market on Saturday. A market it isn’t—more like a county fair. We were joined by new friends (thank God Alison is good at making them). Without her, we’d be very bored. And thank goodness these befriended friends are fun. Incriminating evidence to follow.

These friends came with kid-friends too. Fun was had by all—grown-up bunny-ear fun and kid fun on the Autodrom (bumper cars). But this wasn’t your ordinary Autodrom. These were replicas of the American bumper cars of 1974, from an era before litigation, liability, height restrictions, seatbelts, or neck injuries. Lethal. Fast. Fun as hell.

History and Atmosphere

The Urfahraner Market is like a mini-Oktoberfest, with amusement rides next to beer tents filled with folks in lederhosen and dirndls. It’s been this way since the early 1900s. Before that—dating back to 1817—it was more market, less carnival. Its nine-day duration was decreed by Francis I, and it remains the same length today, held twice a year in fall and spring.

Better Than the County Fair

The rides, the food, the beer—everything about the Urfahraner Market was better than any American county fair I’ve been to. The rides are on the extreme side but feel very safe, like every rivet has been checked in triplicate. Compare that to American carnival rides, which too often come with body counts:
“What? I sure done check’d on them hydraulics—orange Cheeto savior as my witness!”

The differences didn’t stop at the rides. The beer was served in thick glass mugs, as it should be—not in plastic cups. The baked goods were fresh and local, and not a single choco-taco was in sight.

Zoe, often wise beyond her years, asked for “something healthier” and went straight for the fruit kabobs. Yes, they were covered in chocolate, but they were fresh and healthy underneath. No need for the false pride of an “organic certified” sticker—it’s just baked in here.

A Perfect Day

We left the market at 9:00 PM—among the few leaving, as most of the city was just arriving. We grinned the whole way home. It was easily our best day in Linz so far. Much needed, too, as there have certainly been challenging ones—despite the smiling faces you might see on Facebook.