The Wiener Riesenrad is a giant wheel at the entrance to the Prater, and it’s the oldest ride on the site by about a century. It went up in 1897, built by the British engineer Walter Basset Bassett. It was badly damaged in the Second World War and rebuilt with fifteen cabins instead of the original thirty.
It’s slow and still very grand. It’s not a thrill ride at all, and it’s lovely for that. You go up 65 metres to look at Vienna and chat to whoever you came with.
| opened | 1897 |
|---|---|
| manufacturer | Walter Basset Bassett |
| height | 65 m |
| intensity | gentle |
| comfort | silky |
Watch Before Sunrise first. The couple ride this exact wheel at sunset, and you'll spend your own turn trying to spot their cabin.
There's nothing to recover from on this one, but you're in Vienna, so sit down somewhere nice anyway. Make it a coffee if you'd rather!
The film's most famous scene happens on this wheel. Watch it first, and you'll spend your whole turn looking down at the people below.