The Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel is undoubtedly the symbol of the Austrian capital, and taking it for a spin is a must for anyone wishing to capture the city’s romantic soul.
Built in 1897 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph (Sissi’s husband) ascending the throne, it has since become an integral part of the Viennese skyline. Besides that, at nearly 65 m high it’s the city’s most famous viewpoint.
Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel: location and fares
The Wiener Riesenrad – as it is called in German – is the main attraction among the 250 in the Prater, the oldest amusement park in the world. This occupies only a portion (known to locals as the Wurstelprater) of a much larger green area, the so-called “Green Prater,” once used as an imperial hunting ground.
The Viennese amusement park is conveniently accessible by public transport, particularly by subway by getting off at the “Praterstern” stop (lines U1 and U2) and by city trains S1-S3, S7 (direct to/from Vienna Airport) and S15. Several buses and trams also stop nearby.
Prater amusement park is open 7 days a week, some attractions remain closed during the winter season, the most famous ones including of course the Ferris Wheel operate year-round. Its opening times may change but generally it is open until late evening.
Entrance to Prater is free as you pay for individual admissions. Prices for the Giant Ferris Wheel are the following:
- 14 € for adults;
- 6.50 € for children up to 13 years old.
Admission is free for Vienna Pass holders, which also allows them to skip the line at the ticket counter.
Priority access is included as well to those who purchase online tickets for the Giant Ferris Wheel, and it is a great advantage since there is almost always a bit of a queue.
This happened to me when I went there on a Thursday in late November. After counting about 20 people in line, it only took me a couple of minutes to buy my ticket online and pass the turnstile by showing the electronic voucher just obtained.
Aboard the Giant Ferris Wheel
Once inside, before boarding you can visit the Panorama Museum dedicated to the 2,000-year history of Vienna and the Prater with some of its key episodes depicted inside eight old carriages.
After that you reach the actual access to the wheel, operated by the staff in charge. Once on board (no seats available), you slowly gain altitude and the view gets wider and wider.
As you reach the maximum altitude, your gaze embraces the entire Austrian capital’s skyline and you can easily recognize some of its iconic buildings such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Danube Tower. The view over the attractions of the Prater amusement park is also very impressive.
Related to the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel are facts, interesting aspects and technical data that are worth knowing to enjoy this experience even more.
Some things you need to know about the Wiener Riesenrad
Commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph and built in 1897, this is the largest existing Ferris Wheel in the world still based on the original construction design.
Technical features
It has a diameter of 61 m, a total weight of 430 tons and the maximum height of 64.75 m.
As for speed, it reaches up to 2.7 km/h, which would enable it to complete a full circle in 4 minutes. However, this never happens because it is necessary to stop the attraction to allow passengers to get on and off. Therefore, each visitor spends an average of 15 minutes aboard the Wheel.
Useful tip…
To stay more onboard, I suggest taking advantage of peak times so you are sure that all cabins will be stopped to let tourists getting in.
In case of failure…
I admit that once at the top, I thought about what would happen in case of a power failure. Fortunately, the British builders Walter Basset and Harry Hitchins had also asked themselves the same question, which is why the Ferris wheel can be operated manually.
At the cinema
The beauty of the Prater and its most iconic attraction has not escaped even Holywood filmmakers, and films shot here include 1949’s “Third Man,” 1987’s “James Bond 007 – Danger Zone,” and 1995’s “Before Sunrise.”
The number of cabins
There were originally 30, but following the damage from the fire in 1944, it was decided to leave exactly half of them in operation for safety reasons.
An aid to orientation
The Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel rotates precisely in a north-south direction, so you can use it as a landmark to orient yourself in the city.
Romance at high altitude
An unusual experience that the Vienna Wheel gives is that of a candlelight dinner inside a carriage prepared for the occasion.
Meals are served each time a full ride is taken.
