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If London Eye can be considered to all intents and purposes the symbol of London, no less can we say about the Vienna Ferris Wheel, an emblem of the Austrian capital for more than a century.
Built in 1897 to celebrate the anniversary of the ascent to the throne of Emperor Franz Joseph, the Wiener Riesenrad (this is the name) soon became an icon of Vienna.
Beautiful and romantic, it represents the perfect combination of the present and the past, between the modern and the ancient.
The mighty iron structures and wooden wagons, in fact, keep intact the charm of the late nineteenth century.
Air conditioning, heating and large windows, on the other hand, are the result of modern technologies.
A trip on the Vienna Ferris Wheel will give you a spectacular view of the city, from the height of its 67 meters.
Beautiful and romantic at sunset. Fascinating and evocative during Advent, with the twinkling lights of the city as a backdrop!
PRACTICAL INFO
HOW TO GET
The Vienna Ferris Wheel is located in the Prater, the city’s famous park, located in the Leopoldstadt district, and can be easily reached by public transport.
With lines U1 and U2 (U-Bahn) and S1, S3, S7 and S15, get off at the Pratestern stop, a few minutes’ walk away.
Alternatively, with trams 0 and 5 or buses.
The car is not recommended due to the difficulty of parking and the number of limited spaces.
PANORAMA MUSEUM AND PLATFORM 9
Before getting on the Wheel, you can admire, inside 8 original cabins, ingenious artistic and technical audiovisual installations, on a fantastic journey through 2000 years of Viennese and Prater history.
The Panorama Exhibition, entitled “The Wheel of Time“, is included in the admission ticket.
The brand new Platform 9, on the other hand, will allow you to put your feet in an exclusive part of the structure, in total safety. A platform with a glass floor, for a truly spectacular and exciting view.
Access is not allowed for people with nervous system diseases, people with fear of heights, panic attacks, motion sickness, severe cardiovascular diseases and people with spinal injuries.
OPENING TIME
The Ferris wheel of Vienna, with special exceptions, is open all year, including Sundays and holidays, with the following times:
– From the end of April to the beginning of September, from 09:00 to 23:45.
– From September to early October, from 09:00 to 22:45.
– Rest of the year, from 09:00 to 21:45. In some periods it closes at 7.45pm.
After the advent, a short closure is expected in January for maintenance.
TICKETS FOR THE VIENNA FERRIS WHEEL
The standard fare ticket (aged 15 and over) costs 13.50€. Children aged 4 to 14 pay the reduced rate of 6.50€. Free for children under 4.
If you are with your children, you can save some money with the Family Ticket. It costs 34€ in the version 2 adults + 2 children, 39.50€ with 3 children and 45€ with 4 children.
The ticket for Platform 9 costs 89€ per person.
Tickets can be purchased directly online, through this link, avoiding the queues at the ticket office.
SOME CURIOSITIES
The Ferris Wheel, with its 67 meters, does not represent the highest point of the Prater. The Praterturm, in fact, is almost twice as high and with its 117 meters represents the maximum peak of the whole Park.
On the Wheel it is also possible to reserve arriving wagons, breakfasts, brunches and, also, exclusive and romantic dinners. Prices are not exactly cheap. Far from it!