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Photo: Donar Reiskoffer, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
An English engineering firm (Walter Basset) built the giant Ferris wheel from 1896-97. Others of the same era, built for world exhibitions and other parks in Chicago, London, Paris, etc. have long since been torn down. The Riesenrad has become a well-known symbol of Vienna, featured in many movies (most famously in The Third Man) and picture postcards. It has 15 gondolas, some of which are incredibly ornate and large enough to host an extended family inside, offering a spectacular panorama of the city. Additionally, the cabins are available to rent, for cocktails, dinners, or special events. The travelling time is 10-20 minutes.
The Wiener Riesenrad, or simply Riesenrad, is a 64.75-metre (212 ft) tall Ferris wheel at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna. It is one of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions, and symbolises the district as well as the city for many people. Constructed in 1897, it was the world's tallest extant Ferris wheel from 1920 until 1985.
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Offers a variety of shows, and guided tours.
A small museum devoted to the history of popular entertainment.
This year-round amusement park (map available here was established in the late 18th century, and is most famous for its Riesenrad (see listing below). The park also includes standard fun rides as well as a Madame Tussauds wax works cabinet and the Liliputbahn (a narrow-gauge railroad). Possibly the weirdest attraction though is the Kugelmugel (Antifaschismusplatz 2), a spherical house (diameter 7.68m) that, after failing to get a planning permit, declared independence from Austria. First built elsewhere and carted off to the Prater by Austrian authorities, it now sits uninhabited and fenced off with barbed wire.
Johann Strauss Apartment
The 'Waltz King' lived in this elegant apartment from 1863 until 1870; his most famous piece 'An der schönen blauen Donau' (The Blue Danube) was composed during his time here. Included with the items on display is one of the composer's violins.
Circus and Clown Museum
This unusual museum houses a collection of props and costumes, with rotating exhibits.
Neubau WU / Wirtschafts Universität Wien
This stunning new campus opened in 2013, with buildings designed by international architecture firms from Spain, the UK, Germany, Japan, and Austria. The star of the campus is theLibrary & Learning Center, designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid.