Prater and other Vienna, Austria Things to Do Tips

I was surprised by the huge size of the Prater at 60 square kilometres. It was originally a royal hunting ground but the public have been allowed access since 1766. It is opened every day of the year and is the place to come to if you like sporting actives. Its great for relaxing walks, hikes, jogging, skating, swimming, cycling, there is a BMX track, horse racing, golf and boating. Other attractions include the Giant Ferris Wheel ‘Riesenrad’, amusement park and miniature railway ‘liliputbahn’.

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Address: The Giant Ferris Wheel and recreation-park
Directions: Train S1, S2, S3, S7, S15
Underground U1 (red)
Tram 5, 21, O
Bus 80 A
Website: http://www.prater.at/

The ‘main artery’ of the Green Prater is the 4.5-kilometer-long Hauptalle, a straight and wide avenue between Praterstern and the Lusthaus, a former hunting pavilion turned into a restaurant.

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Address: The Giant Ferris Wheel and recreation-park
Website: http://www.wien.info/prater/index-e.html

The Giant Ferris Wheel is open 365 days of the years. It has been a famous landmark since it was opened in 1897 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I. It was damaged during WW2 but was rebuilt and reopened in 1947. It has featured in a number of films but became world famous in the post war film ‘The Third Man’. It is nearly 65m in height and the whole construction weighs 430t. There are 15 cabins on the wheel from which you get fantastic views of Vienna. There are 4 cabins set aside for private hire. For those who fancy something different for a wedding this could be the location. As the cabins have a limit on the number of people allowed, it cuts down on the number of wedding guests.

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Address: The Giant Ferris Wheel and recreation-park
Website: http://www.wienerriesenrad.com/cgi-bin/tagnacht.cgi?sprache=englisch&site=home.htm

The amusement park which is believed to be the oldest in the world has a season that runs from the 15th March to the 31st October. Outside of these times you can still walk through the park. The normal hours are 1000 hrs to 0100 hrs, but these times can change depending upon the weather. The price of the rides varies depending upon the attraction but there are rides to suit all tastes, including a number of white knuckle rides.

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Address: The Giant Ferris Wheel and recreation-park
Website: http://www.wien.info/prater/index-e.html

Close to the Giant Ferris Wheel and amusement park is the miniature railway ‘liliputbahn’. There are 2 steam trains and 3 diesel trains that cover the 3 miles of track. The season for the railway being open can vary depending upon the weather, as can the opening hours. The railway, which has recently celebrated its 75the birthday leisurely winds its way through the park’s beautiful woodland.

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Address: The Giant Ferris Wheel and recreation-park
Website: http://www.wien.info/article.asp?IDArticle=13357

The Belvedere was built by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt for Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Prince was the most celebrated of the Habsburg generals due to his defeat of the Turks in 1683. The Prince acquired the land in 1697 but had to wait until he received his reward money from his victories during the Spanish succession to start work on the Lower Belvedere in 1714 and finished in 1716. The Lower Belvedere was used by the Prince as a residence but he required something grander so work was started on the Upper Belvedere in 1721 and was completed in the record time of 1 year. The Upper Belvedere was used for receptions, negotiations and feasts. At the time the grounds contained various gardens, an aviary and a small zoo.

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Website: http://www.belvedere.at/en/index.htm

St. Stephen's Cathedral was first built as a parish church, in 1147, and rebuilt and enlarged over the centuries, with major new work concluding in 1511, although repair and restoration have continued from the beginning to the present day. The south tower is 450’ tall and was constructed 600 years ago; it is open daily and offers magnificent views over the city. The north tower, also open daily, was left unfinished where according to legend a young lovelorn architect threw himself from the tower. The tower also houses the huge Boomer Bell which was originally constructed from the melted down cannons of the Turks who were defeated in 1683. There are Catacombs that contain the remains of principle members of the Habsburg family. Earlier members had their bodies left intact but by the 17th century the bodies were dissected and the various bits given to a number of churches, the cathedral getting the entrails. St. Stephen's Cathedral was saved from intentional destruction at the hands of retreating German forces during World War II, when Captain Gerhard Klinkicht disregarded orders from the city commandant, Sepp Dietrich, to ‘fire a hundred shells and leave it in just debris and ashes’. One of the fires set by plunderers when Russian troops entered the city was carried by the wind to the cathedral, severely damaging it on 12 April 1945. Fortunately, protective brick shells had been built around the pulpit, Frederick III's tomb, and other treasures, so that damage to the most valuable artworks was minimized. Unfortunately, the beautifully carved choir stalls from 1487 were burned. Rebuilding began immediately, with a limited reopening on 12th December 1948 and a full reopening on 23rd April 1952.

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Phone: 515 52 - 3526
Address: St.Stephens Cathedral, 1, Stephansplatz
Website: http://www.info.wien.at/article.asp?IDArticle=3106

The Hofburg was the former Imperial Palace of the Emperors. It was built over 700 years and owes its size to the reluctance of successive royal families to occupy their predecessors’ apartments. The buildings were occupied by the royal family until the fall of the Empire, which happened at the end of WW1. Besides the fine treasures the buildings also contain the Spanish Riding School, The Vienna Boys’ Choir and the Winter Riding School. The offices of the President of Austria also occupy part of the palace.

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Address: The winter palace of the emperor
Website: http://www.hofburg.wien.info/hofburg-e.html

The City Hall is one of the most splendid of the numerous monumental buildings in Vienna. Designed by Friedrich Schmidt, it was erected between 1872 and 1883. The City Hall was built in gothical style, with a tower similar to gothic cathedrals. Today the City Hall is the head office of Vienna's municipal administration. More than 2000 people work in the building. Visitors are stunned by the magnificent appointments of the state rooms, which frequently provide an atmospheric backdrop to various events such as press conferences, concerts or balls. There is a park at the front of the building that is busy with a Christmas Market and ice rink in the winter and a film and music festival in the summer. The park contains monuments, fountains and centuries old trees.

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Address: 1 Rathausplatz
Website: http://www.wien.info/article.asp?IDArticle=3368

The Burgtheatre was the former imperial court theatre and is one of the most important theatres in Europe, being the second oldest theatre still in existence. It has an all German program and includes all the variety of spoken theatre; the classics and contemporary pieces, as well as experimental theatre and readings. The Burgtheatre is large and has 1175 seats, 81 standing places, and room for 12 wheelchairs and escorts. In spite of that it is often worth buying tickets in advance. The building has a beautiful facade, whose white marble has recently been cleaned, it is adorned with statues of famous writers like Goethe and Schiller and allegoric figures depicting love and hatred.

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Website: http://www.burgtheater.at/Content.Node2/home/eninfo/488.php