The Smart Travel Guide

Prater is the name of the Park close to Vienna city centre and it has around 6.143.984 square metres. The area is ideal for walking, cycling or jogging. Some of the attractions and facilities in this park are the Krieau harness racing track, the Prater Stadium (soccer and track-and-field), the Stadionbad, a public swimming pool, the Freudenau flat racing track and the Pleasure Pavillion (Lusthaus). Moreover, there are also attractions like Vienna Wurschtlprater, a fun fair with the Giant Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad), where one can enjoy a terrific view over Vienna from 200 feet altitude and the Lilliputian Railroad (Liliputbahn), a 2.6 mile amusement park line on a auge of old steam locomotives, providing transportation to the Trade Fair grounds and to the Stadium.

Prater’s most interesting tourist attraction and not only, is the Giant Ferris Wheel. It is a symbol of this park and can be seen from a great distance, being considered one of Vienna’s trademarks and a symbol of Vienna’s world-famous Prater District. It was built in 1897 by the British engineer Walter B., and in opposition to other wheels in London, Blackpool, Paris, or Chicago, it resisted in time to all kind of catastrophes and wars. Unfortunately, it was destructed in 1945 by bombs and fire but it rose later on from the ashes. Its aim was to celebrate he 50th anniversary of the reign of Empereror Franz Joseph I. The Wheel is 200 feet (about 60 m.) high and 15 cabins and the upholding structure weigh of 430,5 t and rotates at the speed of 0,65 m/sec.






Only one trip on one of the unique structures in the world make the Wheel in Prater an absolute cultural must for each and every visitor to Austria’s capital. This wheel is the only one from its time, which is still used today. The Giant Wheel has also 15 luxury cabins, where visitors can go through a wonderful trip experience. The cabins, whose style is from 1897, host all kind of special events like celebrations, press conferences, or romantic dinners. At the moment, the prices for hiring such a cabine is for first hour € 260,-, the second one for € 188,-, the third one € 116,- but the minimum hire period: 1/2 hour.
The opening hours are :
01.01. – 29.02. 10.00 – 19.45
01.03. – 24.04. 10.00 – 21.45
25.04. – 30.09. 09.00 – 23.45
01.10. – 31.10. 10.00 – 21.45
01.11. – 31.12. 10.00 – 19.45
Special Dates:
24.12 10.00.-15.15
31.12 10.00.-21.45
Position: Second district, between Praterstern and Winterhafen
Public transport: U1, U3, S1, S2, S3, S7, S15, S80, tram 5, 18, 21, N, O, B, buses 4A, 10A, 11A, 75A, 80A

Tags: swimming pool, transportation, Vienna, wheel

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