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The Giant Ferris Wheel at the Prater Austrian National Tourist Office / allOver/VSL
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- The Big Ferries Wheel
The world keeps turning - and so does the Giant Ferris Wheel in Vienna. For 125 years now, it has been putting visitors young and old under its spell. A ride on the Giant Ferris Wheel is not just a fun adventure, it is an almost meditative experience that reveals fascinating views of Vienna.
- The Giant Ferris Wheel
- Plattform 9: the Cabrio-Gondola
- Vienna's "Wurstelprater"
- The Green Prater
- 5 Fun-Facts around the Giant Ferris Wheel
- The six most beautiful views of Vienna
- Famous Buildings
Bernhard Luck
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Living Tradition
Vienna's Giant Ferris Wheel
During its lifetime, the Giant Ferris Wheel has witnessed many significant events: Built in 1879 to honour the 50th anniversary of emperor Franz Joseph’s ascension to the throne, it was almost completely burnt down in 1944, with only the steel construction surviving the disaster.
Since its re-opening in 1947, it has become one of Vienna’s most popular attractions. Small wonder, since the views from a height of 65 metres (213 feet) are truly spectacular.The “Wurstelprater,” the large fairground where the Ferris Wheel is located, is especially beloved by the Viennese as a fun destination for the entire family, a lively universe of its own where everything glitters, moves and spins.
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Morgenstimmung beim WIENER RIESENRAD Wiener Riesenrad
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Austrian National Tourist Office / Alexandra Biard
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Austrian National Tourist Office / Alexandra Biard
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Wiener Riesenrad
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Platform 9: the Cabrio-Gondola
Anniversary with a View
Thrill-seekers can enjoy an open-air ride, made possible with a new panorama platform with a glass floor, no walls and no ceiling!
Julian Omonsky
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Wien Tourismus / Paul Bauer
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Don’t Miss This!
Vienna’s „Wurstelprater“
The World’s Fifth Highest Chain Carousel
Soaring through the air in circles at a height of 117 metres (383 feet) is a fun and romantic adventure. As long as you don’t suffer from vertigo.
The Oldest Wood Slide in the World
Put on your burlap sack and off you go: The „Toboggan“ is for history fans who love speed.
Enjoy the Best Roast Pork
Enjoy outdoor seating in the shade of beautiful trees at the Schweizerhaus, where scrumptious ham hocks are the popular house speciality.
The „Wilde Maus“
The “Wild Mouse” is a nostalgic roller coaster with 180 degree turns which delivers adrenaline kicks just like its bigger counterparts.
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Snow Globe Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel Austrian National Tourist Office / Martin Betz
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Snow Globes The famous Viennese Snow Globe was invented by chance. Did you know that the original versions from the year 1900 had semolina as snow?
Snow Globe
Snow Globes
Austrian National Tourist Office / Diejun
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Nature Paradise in the Heart of the City
The Green Prater
Just a few steps away from the Giant Ferris Wheel, one of Vienna’s landmarks, lies a recreational area six square kilometres (2.3 square miles) in size - which is almost twice the size of New York City’s Central Park. The Green Prater’s vast woods and meadows are ideal for taking a stroll or a short hike, with idyllic lakes completing the scenery. At the „Heustadlwasser,'' one can embark on a romantic boat ride. The Prater Hauptallee, a 4,5 kilometre (2.8 miles) long promenade, is lined with 2,500 trees, which looks spectacular in spring when the horse-chestnut trees are in bloom. It leads straight to the Lusthaus: The former hunting pavilion of the emperor is now a Cafe and restaurant, as well as a popular meeting spot among the Viennese.
More green spaces in Vienna5 Fun-Facts about the Giant Ferris Wheel
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Austrian National Tourist Office / Christian Kremser
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How many different „Prater“ does Vienna have? There are three: the Wurstelprater, the Green Prater and the Bohemian Prater. The Green Prater lies right next to the Wurstelprater, the Bohemian Prater on the town’s border.
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Kettenkarussell am Riesenradplatz Prater Wien GmbH
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Where does the Name „Wurstelprater“ come from? The fairground is named after „Hanswurst“, a character that used to be popular in old plays. In former times, many popular theatre companies had their performance spaces at the Prater.
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Giant Ferris Wheel in the Prater Wien Tourismus / Christian Stemper
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Gigantic Competition Until the London Eye was built in 1999, the Viennese version was the largest Ferris Wheel in the world. Today, the „Ain Dubai“ occupies the first place.
See AlsoHow ferris wheel is made -
Vienna Ferris Wheel at Vienna Prater Wien Tourismus / Peter Rigaud
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A Star on the Big Screen A Popular Film Location: Vienna’s Giant Ferris Wheel played small but significant roles in the film “The Third Man” as well as the James Bond instalment “The Living Daylights.”
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View of Vienna from the Giant Ferris Wheel Austrian National Tourist Office / Popp-Hackner
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Unusual Passenger In 1914, circus director Solange d´Atalide performed a special stunt: she took a ride on the Ferris Wheel, on horseback, on the roof of one of the cars.
How many different „Prater“ does Vienna have?
Watch, be amazed and celebrate
Niklas Schnaubelt
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Height:
64,75 m / 212.4 ft.
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Diameter:
60,96 m / 200 ft.
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Speed:
2,7 km/h / 1.67 m/h
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# of gondolas:
15
The Giant Ferris Wheel as Event Location
What many don’t know: Vienna’s Giant Ferris Wheel is an excellent party destination! Whether brunch, lunch, birthday or children’s party, marriage proposal or bachelor party: the special atmosphere above the rooftops of Vienna, with spectacular views of the city, the Green-, and the Wurstelprater, makes the Giant Ferris Wheel the perfect location for all kinds of celebrations.
There are options available ranging from cars furnished in the style of 1897 to a panorama platform with glass floor but without walls and ceiling, as well as private candlelight dinners. No matter what you choose, you’ll create memories that will last a lifetime.
The six most beautiful views of Vienna - aside from the Giant Ferris Wheel
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Ocean Sky roof top bar Haus des Meeres / Lukas Arnold
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Haus des Meeres
Visitors of the Aqua-Terra-Zoo enjoy a spectacular view of the city from the terrace of the former flak tower.
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Rooftop bar 25 hours hotel Austrian National Tourist Office / Mihai Jurca
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25hours Hotel
The rooftop of this popular hotel bar overlooks the glorious buildings of Vienna’s twin museums: the Museum of Natural History and the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Bar with a view of Vienna -
View to Vienna Austrian National Tourist Office / Popp & Hackner
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Jubiläumswarte
The highlight of city-hiking trail No. 4: The 31 metres (101 feet) high viewing tower offers spectacular views of Vienna.
Enjoy views of the Schneeberg Mountain -
Das LOFT SO Vienna / Abacapress/Didier Delmas
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Le Loft at the Sofitel
Sipping co*cktails while enjoying views of the glittering lights of downtown Vienna is an unforgettable experience.
Spectacular Views of Vienna -
Donauturm tower in Vienna Donauturm Wien
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Danube Tower
Café and restaurant are located on a revolving platform at a height of 150 metres (492 feet). Watch the city slowly glide past as you enjoy drinks with a spectacular 360 degree view.
Dinner with a view -
St. Stephen's Cathedral Austrian National Tourist Office / Harald Eisenberger
Stephansdom
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St. Stephen's Cathedral
343 steps lead up to the “Türmerstube.” The fantastic view over the historic inner city is well worth the effort.
To the tour
Famous contemporaries of the Vienna Ferris Wheel
Just a short walk away from the Giant Ferris Wheel, you’ll find the impressive Neo-Classicist buildings of Vienna’s Ringstrasse Boulevards - all of which have been built in the same era, the second half of the 19th century. At the time, the new boulevard was a true sensation - Emperor Franz Joseph had it built in place of the old city walls, which had been torn down for the project. With this move, the emperor not only opened the inner city towards what was then the suburbs, he also laid the foundation for some of the most beautiful buildings in Vienna.
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Vienna State Opera Wien Tourismus / Christian Stemper
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The Vienna State Opera (1869) One of the most important international opera houses and always worth a visit. The program features around 60 different operas and ballets each season.
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Vienna Burgtheater in the city of Vienna Austrian National Tourist Office / Sebastian Burziwal
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Vienna’s Burgtheater (1888) Directly opposite the City Hall, the venerable theatre impresses with its imposing, elegant design and the quality of its performances.
Burgtheater -
Parliament Vienna Austrian National Tourist Office / Julius Silver
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The Austrian Parliament (1883) Even though official parliamentary business has been temporarily relocated due to construction, guided tours through the building are still a special experience.
Parliament -
City Hall in Vienna Wien Tourismus / Christian Stemper
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Das Wiener Rathaus (1883) Ob sommerliches Filmfestival oder stimmungsvoller Christkindlmarkt: Das neugotische Bauwerk stellt jederzeit eine beeindruckende Kulisse dar.
Wiener Rathaus
The Vienna State Opera (1869) Also of Interest
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Hiking on the Loser mountain near Altaussee in Styria Austrian National Tourist Office / Marco Rossi
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