Since being opened in 1897 during the celebration of Franz Joseph’s Golden Jubilee, the Giant Wheel , or Wiener Riesenrad (in German), has been one of the Vienna‘s most iconic emblems. It is located at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Leopoldstadt. It offers visitors great views of the city. Constructed in 1897, it was the world’s tallest extant Ferris wheel from 1920 until 1985. The Wiener Riesenrad, is a 64.75-metre (212 ft) tall Ferris wheel.
Are you looking for something exclusive and romantic? The Giant Ferris Wheel has dining cabins which can be rented for private dinners by candlelight. The package includes a 90-minute three-course meal with wine and a glass of champagne as an aperitif, plus the option to pick your own music. Admission to the Ferris Wheel is already included in the Vienna Pass city ticket package, so you can spare money here and combine it with admission to other top attractions in Vienna. The pass gives you the opportunity to enter for free to over 60 of Vienna’s top landmarks (including the Giant Ferris Wheel), usually with fast-track entry, plus you can employ the Vienna Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off buses to get around without having to stress about public transport.
How to best experience Vienna Ferris Wheel?
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What is the Ferris Wheel?
It is not only an amusement ride but also a symbol of Vienna. It is a unique piece of history.
What can you see from the top of the wheel?
From the top of the Vienna Ferris Wheel you get a pretty wide sight of Vienna, including the Donauturm, the Stefansdom, the huge expanse of the rest of the Prater park. On clear days you can see all the way across the city to the Kahlenberg mountain and the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald).
When was the Ferris Wheel built?
The Wiener Riesenrad was designed by the British engineers Harry Hitchins and Hubert Cecil Booth and constructed in 1897 by the English engineer Lieutenant Walter Bassett Bassett to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I, and it was one of the earliest Ferris wheels ever built.Throughout its history, the ferris wheel has lived on through war and disaster. It was able to survive the threat of demolition due to lack of funds in 1916 and remained unused for two years during the First World War, but in the last days of the Second World War it was bombed and burned. Although it was rebuilt in record time, only 15 of the original 30 gondolas were restored. Those remaining gondolas now form an exhibition space underneath the wheel, where visitors can explore the different eras of Vienna’s history: the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, the World Exhibition, and the different wars fought in the city.
General informations
Useful information for your visit to the Ferris Wheel.
Location
The Ferris Wheel is located at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria‘s capital Vienna. The Prater is a popular public park and green space in the city, and is home to one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. The address is: Riesenradplatz 1
Opening hours
To visit the Ferris Wheel the times are as follows:
- from 10:30 am. Closing times are 8 pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday & Public holidays and 9:30 pm on Friday and Saturday.
How to get to the Ferris Wheel
To reach the Vienna Ferris Wheel:
Metro: Praterstern, lines U1 and U2.
Tram: Praterstern, lines 5 and O.
Bus: Praterstern, line 80A.
Attractions nearby
- Hundertwasser Museum (625 m)
- Hundertwasserhaus (997 m)
- Stadtpark (1.8 km)
- Mozarthaus Vienna (1.8 km)
- Stephansdom Cathedral (1.9 km)
More top sights in Vienna:
