Prater Amusement Park (Wiener Prater)

Vienna is also famous for it's old ferris wheel, so of course you should go in there (even when you have fear of heights it's good to go). It's accompanied by a big permanent fair. When you are back on the ground there's of course the opportunity to buy souvenirs.

You should decide if you want to see this at night or in daylight. We did it at night, but you can't see the old city center very well from the ferris wheel.

The rest of the attractions aren't unique, so you can skip them if you're short on time.

The big wheel in the Prater gardens is only one of the many attractions. As we walked in, we noted that there were some great sports grounds, some terrible bar singers, and a lot of space for jogging and riding. But the only thing I can comment on in person is the big wheel.

The historic wheel is a gorgeous piece of engineering, although apparently it has lost half of its carriages due to old age. And they are carriages - full size wooden carriages, like small pieces of a train in the sky. The wheel is huge, even by modern standards, and the views are incredible.

The wheel was about 8.50 euros, which because of the weak pound, felt quie expensive. But once I thought about it, it is actually completely fair to maintain such a beautiful, historical piece of machinary. And well worth it for the views.

The Vienna Prater is an amusement park and a great place for families, kids and people who would like to have a lot of fun! :-)

Prater offers about 250 attractions like the famous viennese Giant Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad), go-cart tracks, ghost trains, Turbo Boost and Bungee Jump, Space Shot, autodrome rinks,...

Take a ride on Riesenrad - Giant Ferris Wheel - and you will have a great view of the viennese city! It is one of the most famous attractions in Vienna!

You have also the opportunity to enjoy delicious viennese food in more than five dozen restaurtants, cafes, wurst stands, snack bars, ...
The famous Schweizer House - Swiss House - offers good food and good beer :-)

It's also possible to take the Liliputbahn, a mini-train which takes you around the Prater! That's always a lot of fun for kids! :-)

Tip: During summer a film festival takes place in front of the Giant Ferris Wheel with a big variety of food and drinks! It's a great place for movie lovers!

The Viennese Prater, together with its most imposing attraction, the Giant Ferris Wheel, is one of the must-sees of Vienna. Tired of museums, guides and the never-ending souvenir shops? Then come see a world which still keeps a bit of the World-Fair charm. You could compare it to a giant pier, where you'll still find Piggy-Racing, Fortune-Telling machines and Electrical Boats. It's not glitzy, but it's safe and open all-year-round, even at night. The entrance has been recently rebuilt and, among the "classical" features is a very nice Prater Museum (at the feet of the Ferris Wheel) and a Miniature Railway, which is pulled by Steam Engines every Sunday

The Vienna Volksprater is an amusement park of 250 diffrent attractions from ferris wheels to ghost trains.

The Volksprater was in 1987 used as a set for the James Bond movie "The Living Daylights" staring Thimothy Dalton and Maryam D'abo. The scene where they share a coach in the Wiener Risenrad ferris wheel is one of my faveorite movie scenes and I felt that the ride it self looked so spectacular that this was my MUST DO experience dureing my one day vienna stay.

The ferris wheel takes you 64,75 meters above the ground, and whats so special about this ferris wheel is that you ride in big coaches instead of the small coaches that is otherweise charactaristic to ferris wheels. This means you get the view from a lot more angels. Also if you have your big vallet with you you can book a coach for an evening dinner which must be an amazeing experience.

The Risenrad is deffinately not the worlds highest ferriswheel but it 1897 and has more history and charm to it then any other ferris wheel so when in Vienna dont ever cheat yourself of the ride.

Walking around the Volksprater park is fun and relaxing - it's like one big circus in the middle of the big city - however it is also (at least at daytime) a precious sanctuary from the noise, pollution and chaotic trafic that characterises a city like Vienna.

The best way to get to the Volksprater Park is to take the underground line U1 to Praterstein station and walk 5-10 min. to the entrance. Once you've exited the station just follow the ferris wheel you can't aviod seeing it.

The Viennese Prater was once a hunting area for the Austria emperors. 1766 Jospeh II. dedicated the park to the Viennese people. This was the start for one of the oldest amusement park.

The Prater itself is a wonderful place for Vienna, at the beginning you ll find the amusement park. After it you have a lot space for sport and to quite places to relax.

Two attractions you should visit

The Riesenrad is one of Vienna’s famous sights is a giant ferries wheel at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Vienna, Austria. It was one of the earliest Ferris wheels, erected in 1897 to celebrate Emperor Franz Josef I's golden Jubilee. The designer was an Englishman, Walter Bassett, which explains why the wheel's diameter is a round number in Imperial units - 200 feet (approximately 61 m). The Riesenrad is now one of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions, and symbolises the city for many people.

You should definitely have a look to the "Republic Kugelmugel" which is located at the right side of the amusement park. (2 minutes from the Ferris wheel). You will find a description telling you what’s happened in 1984 but it’s only available in German. Here what’s it about (parts copied from wikipedia)

Kugelmugel is a micro nation located in the Prater. The Republic of Kugelmugel declared independence in 1984, after disputes between artist Edwin Lipburger and Austrian authorities over building permits for the ball-shaped house. The house is enclosed by a barbed-wire fence and is the only address within the proclaimed Republic. The artist refused to pay taxes to the Austrian government and began to print his own stamps, for which he received a prison sentence in court. Only a pardon by the Austrian President saved him from going to jail. Kugelmugel has since become a tourist attraction in Vienna due to its unique history and architecture. Roughly translated, Kugelmugel means "ball hill".

The Entry into the Prater is free to the public, but you have to pay for the rides. Prices vary from 1 to 10 Euro depending on the attraction.

If you're in Vienna one evening and have some time to kill, I recommend going down to the Prater Amusement Park. I don't remember which subway stop to take, but ask your hotel attendant or taxi driver and they can direct you with ease. This unique amusement park is an amusement in itself. Upon arrival, it seems normal...just like any other themed park would. However, after about 30 seconds inside, you realize this is a little out of the ordinary. Awkward sculptures make for interesting playground equipment and photo-worthy poses. Haunted houses outnumber rollercoasters about 8 to 1! I found it funny to see haunted houses named Jack the Ripper and Geister Bahn. Though this was odd to me, it seemed to be the main attraction.

Walt Disney would be rolling over in his grave if he saw what I saw. Knockoff Mickey Mouse games and rides. There was a 'Mecky Station', which featured, not a loveable mouse, but a sickly-looking rodent too realistic looking to be cute or friendly. In the Mecky Station was a tug o' war attraction, a Wiener Derby, Then there was the Volare, otherwise known as THE FASTEST FERRIS WHEEL I've ever seen. I thought it was going to come off its hinges and roll away!!! Another haunted house, the Hallo-Wien, made the local one in my hometown look like a kiddie ride. i wonder if anyone's ever died on that one...

If I haven't scared you away already, then you should check this place out. It's different, especially different from an American amusement park. Corn dogs? Oh no, how about corn on the cob? Rollercoaster? Nope, try haunted houses for thrill. Normal? Are you kidding me? Mickey Mouse can't be converted into a ratty-looking (no pun intended) creature that sings a twisted version of the Sound of Music. But...it sure is funny to see...

The Prater is a great Amusement Park in Vienna.  It has more than 250 attractions; but the real reason to go here is the huge ferris wheel, which is the oldest in the world, built in 1896.  I'm not one who would normally spend time at an amusement park on vacation, but this is different; going up in this ferris wheel is a piece of history, and is a very, very special experience.  Also, from the top, you get an unbelievable view of all of Vienna that you just can't get from anywhere else.

Add to that a great Beer Garden that has surprisingly fantastic, cheep food for a fantastic dinner, and this is a great way to spend a few hours.  Another wonderful thing about this is it gets you out of the city center and into the outskirts of the city for a little bit, to get a different view of this wonderful city.

I hope you love this experience as much as I did; ride the ferris wheel, look at the city from a birds eye view, and then grab some fantastic schnitzel at the beer garden right by the entrance, it's wonderful. 

Enjoy!!!