Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel, and the surrounding Prater amusement park, are popular tourist attractions in Vienna.
Prater amusement park is located in an area, that, until 1766, was imperial hunting grounds.
Emperor Joseph II, however, made it a public park, and over the years, it has become a popular place for locals to relax on their summer weekends.
Before the Ferris wheel (built in 1897), the place already had several buildings, including…
- restaurants,
- cafes, and
- the famous Chinese caroussel (added to the park in 1840).
PHOTO: Riesenrad, as seen from Volksprater.
PHOTO: Prater has many attractions, including the (pictured) “Dizzy Mouse” roller-coaster, a water roller-coaster, horse rides for children, and several carousels.
PHOTO: There are two a miniature train services in the park. One is the pictured (wheeled) tourist train. The other is ‘Liliputbahn‘, which uses miniature tracks for a trip between the Ferris wheel and the nearby Ernst Happel Stadium.
PHOTO: Riesenrad Ferris wheel is today an important symbol of Vienna.
The Ferris wheel, added to the park by (English) Walter B. Basset, rises to the height of 64.75 meters (212 ft), with panoramic views over Vienna.
Vienna Ferris Wheel
Address: Riesenradplatz 1, 1020 Vienna, Austria
Facebook: Facebook.com/WienerRiesenrad
Official website: WienerRiesenrad.com
To plan your visit to the park and the Ferris wheel, one good source of information is the official website, at www.prater.at.