Wels

Wels is a city in Upper Austria on the Traun River near Linz, the county seat of Wels-Land and a statutory city since 18 January 1964. In Roman times it was known as Municipium Ovilava and later Colonia Aurelia Antoniana Ovilabis, with about 18,000 inhabitants, and Emperor Diocletian made it capital of the province of Noricum Ripensis; it received medieval city rights in 1222 under the Babenberg dynasty, and Emperor Maximilian I died there on 12 January 1519 after being denied entry to Innsbruck by its citizens. As of January 2025 the city had 65,482 residents, the eighth largest in Austria.