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Located in the giant wooded park and fairground known as the Prater, Vienna’s Giant Ferris Wheel is one of Austria’s best-known and best-loved landmarks. The Ferris Wheel was completed in 1897 at a time when other such ferris wheels stood in cities like London, Paris and Blackpool, but it is the only one of its era still surviving. Constructed to celebrate the 50th jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph I, several unusual events have taken place on the wheel, most notably the suicide of local resident Marie Kindl, who hanged herself from the window of a car in 1898 to draw attention to the economical plight of her family. After dark, the wheel lights up and acts as a giant clock for the city by flashing the correct number of times on the hour.
Contact Addresses
Transportation
Air: Vienna International Airport. Rail: Train: S-Bahn to Wien Nord (Praterstern) from Wien Mitte. Underground: Praterstern. Tram: Public services. Road: Bus: Wien Prater. Car: Signs for Vienna city centre, then take Praterstrasse.
Location
Austria, Vienna
