Wurstelprater

The Wurstelprater is an amusement park in the Prater green space in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district south-east of central Vienna. It started in 1895 as the Venedig in Wien entertainment quarter around the giant Riesenrad Ferris wheel. The wider Prater park itself opened to the public in 1766 after Emperor Joseph II lifted earlier hunting restrictions. Its long history began with travelling folk theatre featuring the clown Hanswurst, whose name gave the park its title. By 1782 there were already 47 inns and two carousels, and in 1791 the first hot-air balloon flight in Vienna took off from the meadows. After wartime damage in 1945 the site was rebuilt, and scenes from The Third Man were shot here in 1948. A major entrance redesign for Euro 2008 added the circular Riesenradplatz square and the Praterdome nightclub. Today the park runs more than 250 rides and stalls on land leased to private operators. The Riesenrad and Blumenrad Ferris wheels dominate the skyline, while roller coasters include the wooden Auto BergBahn from 1948 and the modern Wiener Looping. Visitors can also ride the Liliputbahn miniature railway, visit Madame Tussauds, or eat Lángos and roast pig’s knuckle at Schweizerhaus. Statues such as Calafati and the Watschenmann add colour, and the nearby Planetarium offers space-themed shows.