Wiener Riesenrad, Leopoldstadt, Vienna

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

A photograph of Wiener Riesenrad — Photograph · Robert F. Tobler · CC BY-SA 4.0

Monday	09:00 – 23:45
Tuesday	09:00 – 23:45
Wednesday	09:00 – 23:45
Thursday	09:00 – 23:45
Friday	09:00 – 23:45
Saturday	09:00 – 23:45
Sunday	09:00 – 23:45

Checked 2026-08-31 · Source

Per person	€14.50

Checked 2026-08-31 · Source

Today: Open today, 09:00 – 23:45
Visit duration: 30 min
Accessibility: Partly step-free
Price: €14.50 per person
Standing: Must see · Heritage site
Rank: Rank 7 of 5,640

Plan a day around this Map

Place details and sources

This place is a Attraction. It opened in 1897. It was designed by Hubert Cecil Booth. It carries the Listed objects in Austria heritage designation.

Official website: www.wienerriesenrad.com Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Telephone: +43 1 729 54 30 OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Wheelchair access: Available OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Heritage grade: Grade 2 OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Attraction type: Big wheel OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Type of place: Attraction OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Established: 1897 Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Heritage designation: Listed objects in Austria Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Height: 64.75 m Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Opened: 1897 Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Architect: Hubert Cecil Booth Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Architect: Walter Bassett Basset Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Architect: Walter Bassett Basset;Harry Hitchins;Hubert Cecil Booth OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Operator: Wiener Riesenrad Dr. Lamac GmbH & Co. OG OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09

About Wiener Riesenrad

Wiener Riesenrad is Vienna’s historic giant wheel at the entrance to the Prater, built in 1897 for Emperor Franz Joseph’s Golden Jubilee. Harry Hitchins and Hubert Cecil Booth designed it, and Walter Basset Bassett built it. At 64.75 metres, it is a landmark of engineering as much as an amusement attraction. Its fifteen surviving wooden gondolas are unusually widely spaced because the original thirty were reduced after Second World War damage. That gap-filled silhouette, rather than a dense modern wheel, is part of what makes this ride recognisably Viennese. The wheel’s cinematic identity is equally specific: The Third Man used it in 1949, establishing the image of the Riesenrad above Vienna for audiences far beyond Austria.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

What's inside

The experience takes place in enclosed, heated cabins that are large enough to walk around in, so the ride feels measured and spacious rather than like a fast fairground thrill. The slow rotation gives you time to look across Leopoldstadt towards Vienna’s central districts and to stay in conversation at the highest point. Some gondolas can be hired for private occasions such as dinners or proposals. The wheel is also a film landmark: besides The Third Man, it has appeared in The Living Daylights and television productions. Step out into the Prater afterwards and the atmosphere changes immediately, from the quiet elevation of the cabins to a busy amusement park at ground level.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

How long to spend

Allow about thirty minutes for a visit outside peak periods, including the queue and one complete rotation. The wheel itself turns slowly enough that the circuit is part of the sightseeing rather than a brief spin. Add more time if you want to explore the Prater around the entrance, eat nearby, or continue into the Grüner Prater. Its main avenue, the 4.4-kilometre Hauptallee, extends the outing into a long, flat walk beneath trees. A short Riesenrad stop therefore works as a compact landmark visit, while a half-day plan can combine the ride with the Wurstelprater’s pay-per-ride attractions and the wider park.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Season and crowds

The operator records daily opening from 09:00 to 23:45, making the wheel practical for both a morning landmark stop and an evening city view. Dusk is especially rewarding: the Riesenrad lights up as the sky darkens, while the elevated outlook across the flat second district gains contrast from the city lights. For a quieter atmosphere, consider a winter afternoon or an earlier weekday visit, when bare trees can leave longer sightlines across Vienna. Weather can still affect the quality of the view even when the attraction is open.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Tickets

The recorded admission is €14.50 per person for the Riesenrad. That is the fare to budget for the wheel itself; private cabin hire for dinners, proposals, or other events is a separate arrangement and should not be confused with the standard ride. Entry to the Prater grounds does not create a general park admission charge, while individual Wurstelprater attractions are paid separately. The wheel’s late recorded closing time makes it possible to choose a quieter daytime circuit or return for the illuminated evening atmosphere, subject to the operator’s published schedule.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Getting there

The wheel stands in Leopoldstadt, Vienna’s 2nd district, directly at the entrance to the Prater. Travel to Praterstern, which is served by U-Bahn lines U1 and U2 as well as the S-Bahn. From the station exit, the Riesenrad is about a two-minute walk. Vienna’s U-Bahn generally runs from around 05:00 until 01:00, with all-night service at weekends, so the attraction is straightforward to pair with an evening visit. Follow signs for the Prater exit and look for the tall, widely spaced red wheel; its position makes the final approach easy to recognise.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

What to watch out for

The cabins are enclosed and heated, but step-free access is limited, so visitors who need completely step-free boarding should confirm the current boarding arrangement before arrival. Toilets and accessible toilets are recorded at the attraction. The wheel is a slow, open view experience rather than a fast thrill ride, yet height and movement may still matter if you are uncomfortable with either. Queues can lengthen during summer weekend evenings. Private events use different arrangements from the standard ride. Keep the published operator hours and the recorded public-body admission information with your plan, and allow flexibility around the busiest Prater periods.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Photography

Photograph the Wiener Riesenrad from the Prater approach at dusk, when the iron structure and widely separated gondolas stand out against the blue-hour sky. The wheel itself is often a stronger subject than the view from a cabin. Inside, reflections from the glazing and cabin lights can soften images, so move close to the glass and frame away from bright interior surfaces. A longer lens can isolate Vienna landmarks across the flat cityscape, while a wide view from below emphasises the wheel’s height. The underside is worth looking up at: its repeating iron geometry gives a more distinctive image than a standard frontal snapshot.

Checked 2026-09-02 · Source

Common questions

How old is the Wiener Riesenrad?

It was built in 1897 for Emperor Franz Joseph’s Golden Jubilee. Harry Hitchins and Hubert Cecil Booth designed it, and Walter Basset Bassett built it.

How tall is the Wiener Riesenrad?

It is 64.75 metres tall. After the Grande Roue de Paris was demolished in 1920, it was the world’s tallest working Ferris wheel until 1985.

Why are the Wiener Riesenrad cabins so far apart?

The wheel originally carried thirty gondolas. After damage in the Second World War, only fifteen were restored, leaving the characteristic wide gaps between cabins.

Is the Wiener Riesenrad in The Third Man?

Yes. The 1949 film used the wheel for the scene that made it internationally famous. It has also appeared in The Living Daylights and television productions.

Is the Wiener Riesenrad a fast fairground ride?

No. Its enclosed, heated cabins are large enough to walk around in, and the rotation is slow enough for conversation and sightseeing during a complete circuit.

What can you do around the Wiener Riesenrad?

You can continue into the Prater: the Wurstelprater offers pay-per-ride amusement attractions, while the Grüner Prater includes the 4.4-kilometre Hauptallee for a long, flat walk.