Visit Prater, Vienna

Vienna’s famous Volksprater (or simply, Prater) lies in the heart of the city, in the district of Leopoldstadt. It is an amusement park for many, a place of nostalgic dreams for some, but sure a paradise of greenery for almost everyone. It offers visitors the world-famous Giant Ferris Wheel, built in 1827, as well as many attractions such as carousels, halls of mirrors and laughter, ghost trains and rollercoasters, and the little Liliputbahn, a narrow-gauge railway on which visitors can enjoy a tour of the park.  Prater also has something to offer on the culinary front. A must for culinary lovers: the famous Vienna Schweinstelze (pork knuckles) and the Lángos, a dough brushed with lots of garlic water and eaten on the go.

Of course, the Prater is not just a pleasure park. It also includes the adjacent Stadtpark, considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world. There, in the middle of nature but well in the heart of Vienna, visitors find themselves far from the craziness of the city. The landscape of water meadows was once a popular hunting ground of the Habsburgs. 

One of the biggest attractions in this part of the Prater is the chestnut blossom when the trees flower in delicate shades of pink in May.

Interesting fact: the Prater is also home to an unusual object, the Republik Kugelmugel (Republic of Kugelmugel), a huge spherical micronation surrounded by a fence and barbed wire.

It is surely well worth the visit, for kids and grown-ups, and you will have an amazing day walking by the park and experience its wonderful atmosphere and crazy sights. 

The Vienna Prater is in season from March to October. But the world-famous Giant Ferris Wheel and a few other attractions are open all year round.