Who designed and constructed Wiener Riesenrad?

British engineers Harry Hitchins and Hubert Cecil Booth designed the wheel. English engineer Walter Basset Bassett managed the construction.

What occasion prompted the construction of Wiener Riesenrad?

The attraction was built to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef.

Why was the planned demolition of the Ferris wheel cancelled?

A demolition permit was issued, but the structure survived because money was lacking to carry out the work.

How does the drive mechanism rotate the wheel?

A circumferential cable runs off the wheel and passes through machinery under the base, while tensioned steel cables form the spokes.

Which novels feature Wiener Riesenrad?

The Ferris wheel appears in The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson and The Glass Room by Simon Mawer.

Simmering · Austria

Wiener Riesenrad: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Q: Where is Wiener Riesenrad located?

The Ferris wheel stands at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Leopoldstadt, Vienna.

Tenants living near the Prater trade quiet evenings for steady carnival crowds, treating the giant wheel as an unmoving navigational beacon on late walks home.

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Around here4

Exchange rate€0.89per 1 $EUR — the local currencyas of Nov 2, 2026

Within two hours

Natural History Museum, Vienna≈ 40 min

About the place

The Wiener Riesenrad stands at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Leopoldstadt, carrying passengers in slow circuits above the city rooftops.

British engineers Harry Hitchins and Hubert Cecil Booth designed the giant wheel, which English engineer Walter Basset Bassett constructed to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef. Bassett faced commercial ruin after building it. The structure survived an official demolition permit only because authorities lacked sufficient funds to dismantle the steel frame.

Read on

A circumferential cable running beneath the base powers the wheel, while tensioned steel cables maintain the revolving frame. Wartime shelling destroyed many original cabins, leaving a reduced fleet of gondolas upon restoration. The landmark became a cinematic staple through productions like The Living Daylights and Before Sunrise.

Associations

Prater amusement parkThe wheel marks the entrance to this historic recreation area.
Cinema historyThe wheel featured prominently in Before Sunrise and spy thrillers.
Demolition threatPoverty saved the frame when the city could not afford demolition.
Reduced gondola fleetWartime bomb damage destroyed numerous passenger cabins permanently.

Facts

Harry Hitchins and Hubert Cecil Booth designed the wheel, which Walter Basset Bassett constructed.
The structure escaped demolition because the municipal government lacked funds to execute the destruction permit.
A circumferential cable driven under the base powers the rotation using steel tension cables for spokes.
The attraction served as a filming location for the romance film Before Sunrise and the spy movie The Living Daylights.

Updated September 21, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Wiener Riesenrad: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around4

The Wiener Riesenrad stands at the entrance of the Prater amusement park in Leopoldstadt, carrying passengers in slow circuits above the city rooftops.

Getting there and staying

Similar nearby