The Prater is a huge public park, dating from 1766, when the King und Kaiser opened it to the public. Previously it had been his deer park. Today's Prater is a huge public park, a tenth of which is the amusement park, the Wurstelprater. The main entrance to the Wurstelprater is just three blocks or so from our apartment, across the tracks, so we visited twice recently, once during the day, once in the evening. It's not a theme park, but lacks nothing else as an amusement park, including even some of the city's more popular eating/drinking establishments. We had visited the Prater, memorably, in 2010, but had to go back if only to find the crazy ride that Vicki did then.
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2010...it looks pretty tame; until it begins the upside down/inside
out dual orbits, first going forward, then backward, a very fast,
long ride, all to harsh loud music and strobe lighting..."Extasy" |
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FF to 2022...near the entrance, the Wiener Riesenrad, operating since
1897, for many years the world's largest Ferris wheel |
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Prater version of the mushroom ride grand-daughter Penelope
favored at Gilroy Gardens... |
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| Much taller version elsewhere in the park |
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| Three different rides going here |
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Newer attraction, goes much faster, small, open cabins with see-
through glass flooring |
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| City of spires; and thrills |
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Pano inside the Schweizerhaus, the most awesome place in the Prater for us; we could not believe
how crowded it was...mid-afternoon, mid-week day |
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| Assembly-line beer |
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Thus; waiting for the foam to settle a bit before going on the
next waiter's tray; note the pallets of mugs waiting in the background |
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We were especially awed by the plate of potato chips, better than Lay's, but €5?! |
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Feuer Dorf...little alpine/nordic cottages you can rent, cook in,
entertain...see illustration |
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| Evidently popular in the winter |
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| Artsy shot depicting the complexity of it all |
