Vienna Ferris Wheel Is A Timeless Classic. Is It Also Scary?
When we think of Vienna, the capital of Austria, images of magnificent palaces, classical music, and elegant cafes come to mind. However, one of the city’s most prominent symbols is a giant wheel in the heart of an amusement park, perhaps because of its rich history and maybe because it has become associated with the city on a cultural level. Although tall, spectacular, and scary giant wheels exist, this is one of the city’s must-see attractions.
In the following article, we will learn about the rich history and dynamic presence of Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel, help you decide if it should be scary, and find out how it became such an icon of the city.
What Is The Vienna Ferris Wheel?
Vienna’s giant wheel, also known as the Wiener Riesenrad, is an enormous observation wheel located at the entrance to the Prater Amusement Park, a park full of attractions that almost every family coming to the city adds to their schedule. The wheel rises to a height of 64.75 meters and is an integral part of the city’s skyline.
The Vienna Ferris Wheel is made mainly of metal. It consists of 15 large carriages (“Gondolas”) in the shape of traditional train cars, which makes it very impressive on an architectural level as well. Each carriage can accommodate up to 12 passengers, which allows the wheel to transport – in a simple calculation made with the help of the Windows calculator, cause I suck in Math – up to 180 people in one round. A full rotation of the wheel takes about 12-15 minutes.
What makes Vienna’s Ferris wheel unique is its impressive size, classic design, and strategic location in the heart of one of the city’s most historic and vibrant areas. You will get a spectacular view of Vienna and its surroundings from the wheel, so we recommend going to it mainly in the evening. The panoramic views here are awe-inspiring when the city, notably Prater Park, is lit up with multiple colors.
The Oldest Ferris Wheel In The World Is Still Standing
The history of Vienna’s Ferris wheel is a fascinating story of innovation, survival, and renewal, which sometimes coincides with the city’s history. The Wiener Riesenrad is the oldest Ferris wheel across the globe that is still operating. The wheel was built in 1896 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the accession of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The Giant Wheel, which opened on June 25, 1897, initially had 30 cars. At its construction, it was the second tallest after the Grande Roue de Paris in the French capital, which was destroyed in 1920. For several decades, until 1985, the Ferris wheel of Vienna held first place. But it’s not just the height that counts; its name has gone far (or to heights) thanks to the complex engineering used in its construction.
During the many years since then, it has undergone several transformations but has managed to survive and dominate the Vienna skyline. In 1916, there were plans to demolish it, but in the end, due to financial difficulty financing the demolition, it stayed.
Then, Jewish Edward Steiner purchased the Vienna Riesenrad. Following the annexation of fascist Austria to the Third Reich in 1938 (“The Anschluss”), it was confiscated from Steiner, and he was murdered in the Holocaust in Auschwitz a few years later. In the war, the wheel itself was damaged and even caught fire after direct bombing by the Allies. The carriages were almost wholly damaged, and what is left is mainly the metal structure itself.
Only after the war, in 1945, were the repairs and rebuilding of the giant wheel done. According to reports, opponents in the city at the time demanded to destroy the remains of the wheel. Still, business people and some of the city’s leaders who saw its economic potential insisted. It returned to action two years later with some changes. During this period, they decided to install only 15 cells – half of the previous number – due to the fear that the large number of cells would harm the wheel’s stability.
In 2016, the Ferris wheel in Vienna underwent a comprehensive renovation process, which included replacing various parts of the metal structure and improving the safety and lighting systems. The goal was to adapt it to the 21st century on the one hand, but on the other hand, to preserve its historical appearance and main features.
Entering The Time Tunnel
As mentioned, the Ferris wheel in Vienna includes 15 cars today, and it is effortless to understand where the “surplus” cars were. In other words, to this day, the appearance of the giant wheel is not quite balanced, with “holes” in the places where the carriages were.
In any case, the remaining cells are impressive. They are designed in the style of traditional train cars from the beginning of the 20th century, which gives a feeling not only of an increase in height – but also of time travel (and the lovely miniature museum at the beginning of the facility, which we will come to later, contributes to this).
You can rest easy if you fear small, open, and neglected places. The giant wheel weighs almost 245 tons out of about 430 tons of the entire structure, mainly due to heavy materials such as iron and other metals. The carriages themselves are spacious and stable. There is room for a dozen people in each of them. If you come to the city with a baby carriage, you will find that you can bring it up quite quickly (actually, you have no other choice because the exit from the Ferris wheel is in a different location than the entrance).
The carriages include wooden benches where you can sit, even if we advise you to stand to appreciate the view through the large panoramic windows. Some would argue that the fact that the view in most cabins is through windows hurts the experience a little, but from the impression of the writer of these lines, you can see excellently even inside the train. If I remember correctly, the carriages are reasonably ventilated but not air-conditioned (like most of Vienna itself), so it may be that in the afternoon hours of hot days, it will be a bit difficult to sit inside them. This argument explains why getting on the wheel in the more pleasant evening hours is worth considering.
Is The Vienna Ferris Wheel Scary?
Finally, we have come to the million-dollar question from the point of view of horror fans: to what extent is climbing the giant wheel of Vienna considered a scary attraction?
The answer is quite complex. I, for example, visited the giant wheel recently, and I was impressed that it is less scary than other similar giant wheels I visited. The cells themselves are large and closed, they feel stable most of the time, the movement itself is slow (speed of about 2.7 km/h), and the height is impressive, but low compared to some of the giant Ferris wheels in the world. If I counted correctly, it ranks around 60th on the list of tallest Ferris wheels today. If you remember that until 1985, it was the highest in the world, you can understand why, in recent decades, there has been colossal inflation in the sector of the giant wheels in the world.
Still, the experience here can be scary for people who are afraid of Ferris wheels. If you suffer from a severe fear of heights, tend to be sensitive to slight vibrations like those of the Ferris wheel chambers, or just don’t like the idea of being stuck between heaven and earth, visiting here might be a little intimidating. Some cabins offer a more extreme experience, such as an almost open cabin where you can board while standing.
Some Ferris Wheels Should Not Left Alone
Fortunately, the history of the Vienna Ferris wheel does not include accidents or damage to the body. The safety here is exceptional and even improved compared to other facilities worldwide. Take, for example, the quite logical scenario where a power outage will cause the wheel to stop working.
The Vienna Ferris Wheel could also be operated manually during a power outage. In the 20th century, there were quite a few cases where they operated the wheel manually, which was not an easy task due to the massive weight of the device. Today, it may happen, but very rarely.
Even so, there have been a few cases over the years that look like they came out of a horror movie from my favorite subgenre of people-being-forgotten-in-a-place-forgotten-without-anyone-knowing-and-having-to-fight-for-their-lives-against-miscellaneous-hazards.
In 2015, a couple of Polish tourists almost got lost here. They went on the Ferris wheel at night before the place closed. The operator decided to give them another round but switched with another worker, who didn’t know about the pair on top. He turned off the lights and left the couple alone, deep above. Fortunately, we are talking here about a Ferris wheel in Vienna and reality, and not horror movies where it is likely that the couple would be in a no-reception zone, unable to make contact with the outside world. Therefore, the tourists called whoever they should call in such cases, were rescued, and received an apology and a bottle of champagne as compensation.
The Miniature Museum: An Excellent Addition To The Price
Vienna’s Ferris Wheel is not a cheap attraction, and it can be tempting to skip it or settle for a ride on the newer (and less tall) Ferris Wheel, also located in Prater Park.
Some will argue that it is only one round of about 15 minutes, done in a closed cell, making the climb less worthwhile. Nevertheless, we recommend including the Ferris wheel in Vienna in your travel plan because it is significant in the history and present of the city and because it is an awe-inspiring experience.
Another fact is that there is a lovely miniature museum at the entrance to the giant wheel, after you pass the cashiers. It is not large in both meanings but includes some impressive miniature models, emphasizing the history of the Ferris wheel and Parter Park. Among other things, you will find a model of the Ferris wheel as it looked in 1897 (with 30 carriages), a display of the park at different times, and models that relate to the general history of Vienna. Some displays are interactive, with various mechanisms and buttons, and the models also include brief historical information about what you see.
Vienna Ferris Wheel On The Big Screen
The Third Man Ferris Wheel Scene
One of the reasons for Wiener Riesenrad’s charm is his appearances in cultural texts over the years. The most significant scene is in “The Third Man,” the 1949 Film Noir masterpiece. Without committing any spoilers, this excellent film noir by Carol Reed, starring Orsen Welles (“Citizen Kane”), includes many twists related to the protagonist’s search for clues that will explain what happened to his best friend.
In one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, the hero goes up to the Ferris wheel and meets someone there who he thought was dead and who is related in some way to that friend. The Third man Ferris Wheel Speech is iconic as well.
The Viennese are very proud of this film, and in various places around the city (including the airport), you can see the image of Orsen Welles next to the giant wheel. And by the way, “The Third Man” also turned the sewers of Vienna into a tourist attraction, with tours following the film being held here to this day.
The Living Daylight Ferris Wheel Kiss
We continue with “The Living Daylights,” the 15th film in the James Bond series and the first in which Timothy Dalton played the world-famous secret agent. But you may be disappointed if you were expecting some action scene where the hero and a particular villain fight each other on the roof of one of the cars in the giant wheel. Visiting Parter Park and other romantic attractions in Vienna (for example, visiting the opera or riding a horse) is part of the agent’s crush on the current Bond girl, Cara (played by Miriam d’Avo). In the Ferris wheel, they kiss for the first time.
Before Sunrise Ferris Wheel Scene
Speaking of romance, Richard Linklater’s excellent “Before Sunrise” from 1995, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delphie, also takes place in Vienna, one magical evening. Two young men, an American and a French woman, meet on the train, talk to each other, and feel the sparks. The man offers the girl to get off the train in Vienna with him, and the two spend one night where they mostly talk but also arrive at the Prater Park, where they kiss on the Ferris wheel.
Other Movies Involving Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel
We have seen the Ferris wheel in other films, such as “The Woman in Gold” with Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds from 2015, which deals with the struggle of a young lawyer to help a Holocaust survivor recover an expensive painting looted by the Nazis; the spy thriller “Scorpion” (1973) with Burt Lancaster and Alan Dillon, in which the CIA hires an assassin to eliminate his mentor; the romantic drama “Letter from an Unknown Woman” (1948), starring Joan Fontaine and Louis Jordan, about a down-and-out pianist who receives a letter in which an unknown woman describes an affair he had with her; and more.
Vienna Ferris Wheel – All The Information You Should Know Before Visiting
Wiener Riesenrad Opening Hours
Vienna’s Ferris wheel operates around the clock, but the specific opening hours may vary throughout the year, with the rule of thumb being that during the busy periods of the tourist calendar, it is expected to operate more hours a day. The opening is usually in the morning (9:00 or 10:00) and ends between 19:45 and 23:45.
We recommend you find out before your arrival exactly when the facility is expected to operate on the date of your visit, especially if you arrive at Prater Park at less usual hours. You can find the opening hours here.
Vienna Ferris Wheel Prices
Prices for the Vienna Ferris Wheel may also change from time to time. As mentioned, this is not a cheap attraction, even in terms of the Prater Park. As you know, entrance to the park is free, but you have to pay for each facility, which starts from one or two euros but can also be higher.
As of 2024, these are prices of Wiener Riesenrad tickets
🎫 Adult: 14 euros
🎫 Child (aged 3-14): 6.5 euros
🎫 Family ticket: 35 euros (2 adults and 2 children), 40.5 euros (2 adults and 3 children) or 46 euros (2 adults and 4 children)
There are also different types of tickets, for example, a ticket that gives you a fast queue and entry to a VIP car, a ticket that combines other attractions in Prater Park, or a ticket that combines a romantic dinner in a private capsule (some of the Ferris wheel capsoles are adapted for this, with a festive dining table).
Where Can You Buy Tickets For Wiener Riesenrad?
The first option is to buy tickets at the box office. The problem is that you may wait long for the ticket office since this is a popular attraction. Therefore, we recommend buying the tickets in advance, even when you are already in Prater Park, thus saving the line at the box office.
You will still have to go through the miniature museum and wait a few minutes on the wheel, but there is no doubt that you’ll save a large part of the queue. In addition, buying tickets can ensure your visit to the place on busy days, define the boarding time in advance, or enjoy one-off specials.
You can buy the tickets for Parter Park’s giant wheel at the following sites:
