Prater and the Giant Ferris Wheel

The Wiener Riesenrad, A 64.75 M Ferris Wheel Built In 1897, One Of The Oldest In The World, And An Icon Of The Film The Third Man (1949). The Prater Is A Public Park With Wurstelprater, An Amusement Park Of Rides And Food Stalls, And A 4.5 Km Tree Lined Boulevard, The Hauptallee. · Vienna, Vienna

The Prater is a big public park in Vienna's second district, Leopoldstadt, and its best-known object is the Wiener Riesenrad, the Giant Ferris Wheel, built in 1897 and 64.75 m tall, one of the oldest in the world. Its red gondolas turn slowly over the Danube plain, and it is famous from the 1949 film The Third Man, where Orson Welles speaks in a gondola. Around the wheel is the Wurstelprater, a fairground of roller coasters, ghost trains, sausage stalls and beer gardens, while behind it the park runs on as woods and meadows along the 4.5 km chestnut avenue called the Hauptallee. Walking in the park is FREE. The honest picture is that the Prater is more a fairground than a major sight: the wheel is the draw, the rides are ordinary, and the area is touristy, with queues at peak times and prices that suit a short visit rather than a full day. A ride takes about 12-15 minutes. It is a pleasant evening out, best in spring and autumn, with views that are good rather than spectacular. Many Viennese come for the park.

Amusement park and green space in Vienna's second district, about 3 km north-east of the old town, entered from Praterstern with the Riesenrad Ferris wheel at the entrance, Vienna, Vienna, Austria

The park is open at all hours and FREE to enter. The Riesenrad runs all year, with later hours in summer, and the fairground is busiest from spring to autumn. Some rides and stalls are CLOSED in winter, so check each ride's season and the wheel's closing time before you go, especially in the dark winter months.

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