Wiener Riesenrad, Ferris wheel in Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria
The Wiener Riesenrad is a 64.75-metre Ferris wheel at the entrance of the Prater, built as a thirty-sided wheel with a 60.96-metre diameter over the cabin suspension axes. Its steel lattice A-frame supports a rim hung with 15 dark-red wooden gondolas with white roofs, and the spokes are steel cables held in tension.
Harry Hitchins and Hubert Cecil Booth designed the construction in 1897 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I's accession. A demolition order could not be carried out in 1916 due to lack of funds, allowing the structure to survive.
The wheel ranks among the most recognized symbols of the city and appears on souvenirs and travel guides as an emblem of Prater. Many visitors come here to enjoy the view or ride in the historic wooden cabins.
The wheel turns at a maximum circumferential speed of 0.75 metres per second, so a full rotation takes 255 seconds; in practice it runs longer, as it stops cabin by cabin for boarding. The drive can also be operated by hand, and an emergency generator keeps it running during a power failure. Since 2022 an open glass platform between two cabins carries up to four standing passengers secured with straps.
Originally the structure had 30 cabins, but after a fire during World War II only 15 were rebuilt. This reduction lengthened the ride time and made the experience calmer than comparable modern wheels.
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