History:
The Prater was once an imperial hunting ground and accessible only to the nobility until in 1766 the Austrian Emperor Joseph II declared it a recreation area and free for public enjoyment. Since the emperor also allowed the establishment of catering facilities, it was not long until at the edge of the former hunting ground the forerunner of today's Wurstelprater came into existence. The first catering facilities were built, innkeepers, coffee makers, and gingerbread bakers moved into the area and soon, entertainment facilities such as swings, carousels and bowling alleys followed.

In 1873, the first and so far only World Exhibition in Vienna was held in the Prater. At that time, 53,000 exhibitors displayed their services with an emphasis on cultural topics in an area of approximately 2.3 million m2 (about 24.75 million ft2). The 84 m (about 276 ft) high rotunda with a dome diameter of 109 m (about 358 ft) which had been built at the center of the exhibition area burnt down in 1937. Today, the main building of the exhibition center Messe Wien is to be found on this site.

In 1895, the amusement area “Venice in Vienna” was built and in 1897, the Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel), one of the landmarks of the city, was erected in the middle of it. The Prater gradually became a place of culture and entertainment. “High” society used to come out here with horse-drawn cabs, cadets and laundry girls met here, operators of swings and curiosity stalls competed for the attention of the audience, barrel organs, pub singers and women’s bands performed tunes, as well as the king of waltz Johann Strauss or the operetta composers Joseph Lanner and Carl Michael Ziehrer. To entertain the children, several puppet shows were set up in simple wooden huts starring Hanswurst (Punch), after whom the Wurstelprater amusement park was named.

Attractions:
One of the landmarks of Vienna, the Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel,) which was built in 1896/97, is to be found in the Prater. It is the only remnant of probably the first theme park in the world: the “Venice in Vienna”. The theme park was created in 1895 by Gabor Steiner and used the lagoon city as a model backdrop to the Kaiserwiese. Water canals were built, lined with fairground stalls and other entertainment facilities. Each year new attractions were added in the summer season.
Another, more recent Ferris wheel is the Blumenrad which was opened in 1993. Only 35 meters (115 feet) in diameter, it is considerably smaller than the Riesenrad, and has, in contrast, open rotating cubicles.

The Liliputbahn (miniature railway) is a remarkable park railway, which travels around a circuit of 3.9 kilometers (2.4 miles) in the Prater. En route, it crosses some public roads. The railway’s track gauge measures 381 millimeters (15 inches). The Liliputbahn has existed since 1928 and the route was gradually extended upto 1933 to the stadium at Wiener Prater. Two steam locomotives, four diesel locomotives and four passenger train sets are in use. The main station is located near the Riesenrad. The Planetarium and the Prater Museum are on the edge of the Prater with many exhibits telling the story of this amusement park.

The Wurstelprater also offers a wide variety of foods: for example Lángos, a deep fried flat bread which is available at many stands and is very popular. The famous Schweizerhaus, which was taken over by Karl Kolarik in 1920, also provides traditional Viennese cuisine.

Music, Literature, Film:
Many writers and composers, such as Adalbert Stifter, Felix Salten, Peter Altenberg, Robert Stolz, Graham Greene and Helmut Qualtinger have helped to preserve the special atmosphere of the Prater for posterity. And what would the world-famous film classic “The Third Man” be without the Prater?
These records, if nothing else, enable us to understand all facets of this important urban space and its development through the decades and centuries.

Channel: Typisch Wien
Categories: Sightseeing, Wienerisch

Weiterführende Links:

Location:

Adress: Prater 123, 1010 Wien

Opening times: March 15th to October 31st: 10 am – midnight daily
The amusement park is not closed and is accessible 24 hours a day, no admission charged.
The opening times of the theme-park rides and catering facilities differ depending on the business owners.
Some businesses are also open in winter.

Getting there: Underground: U1, U2 (Praterstern), U2 (Messe-Prater)
Tram: 5, 0 (Praterstern)
Bus: 80A (Praterstern)

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