4749 Metropole 04.05.2017 1/3 Prater Wien 4749 Metropole 04.05.2017 2/3 Prater Wien 4749 Metropole 04.05.2017 3/3 Prater Wien IS MY wursteiprater Carnival for All Seasons BY NEJRA RIZVANOVIC PHOTO CATHERINE MARGARET ILLUSTRATION KARIN DREHER At the Wursteiprater, it's always show time. Through the quaint grandeur of the cn trance arch, its Grand S(|uare spreads out in a comic masterpiece of fauxbaroque and terraced caf
[MEHR]es, paint 1 x"quot;gt;. 11 leaters and a generous use oft rompeheil. The atmosphere is almost dreamlike, preserving the quality of yesteryear in a stage set for diversion. It's all endeari 1 lgly cl leesy, a melange of ki tscl t aiid nostalgia that is the true charm of this allseason fairground a neverending carnival like Blackpool or Coney Island, but with a Viennese flavor all its own. Opened in 1766 when the imperial hunti ng gr"quot;lt; Kinds were gi ft ex 1 to t he pul "quot;gt;lic 1 iy Emperor. Joseph II. the Wursteiprater has long been a local favorite, offering a pleasing jumble of thrills and to the Yiem lese. ]) least! re always has a lot to do with food lots to eat and drink at leisurely cafes, rustic restaurants and snack kiosks of every sort. Named after / Ians Wurst, I he famous com ic archetype of Viennese theater, the amusement park originally started as a group of refreshment stands for day trippers. Things really took off during the 1873 World Fair, transforming the area into an elaborate world of exhibitions and performance spaces wit ha carnival atmosphere it has had ever since. In 18!).r"quot;gt;. it became the site of (arguably) the world's first theme park, Venedigin Wien ( Venice in Vienna), a small settle reproduction of the great merchant city on the Adriatic, replete with canals and actualgondolieri. BIG WHEELS AND STELZE Towering over the Wursteiprater is the Riesenrad. Vienna's iconic Ferris wheel, im mortalized in Carol Reed s 1!) I !) noir thriller The Third Man. Built in 1897 for the Emperor Franz Josefs golden jubilee, it stands 65m tall, providing a jawdn ipping view oft he city. It was among the first ofthe city s landmarks to be rel mill after WWII even bef"quot;lt;ire I be St aatsoper reopening for business in 1 !"quot;gt; 17 and becoming an important symbol of a return to postwar normality. Whether you re planning a romantic dinner or a shady parley, this is just the place. Nearby is a plaque honoring the be loved Austrian composer Robert Stolz. whose hit tune Im Prater hliih n wieder die Him me ( The trees in the Prater are once again in bloom) celebrates the park and its beauty. Another old and venerable institution is the Sehweizerhaus: Opened in 1868 (and l racing its roots back to an old hunting lodge), its vast, rustic beer garden has become synonymous with the Prater itself, drawing diners from alar fora taste of t heir faint n is Sehweinsstelze (roast ham hock), traditionally washed down with a pint of liudxcar their 11"quot;lt; iuse beer since 192 6. Slightly more upmarket is the eminent Kisvogel, open since 2008 but claiming heri tagebackto 1805. Specializing in traditionalist fare with a locallysourced twist, you can dine under your own stars wif h their special ' Zodiac Menu,' defined by the moon s phases. It wouldn t be a Prater institution if it didn t have a gimmick. REACH FORTHE SKY The Wurstelprater has many thrills, chills and (near) spills that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is the infamous gi ant swing Tornado. 25 meters tall and equipped with heavy harnesses, it twists and twirls on long chains as it rockets to and fro, occasionally tipping you on your head. Then there s Black Mamba: A swing as well (in I be broadest sense ofthe word), it oper ates at the shrieking speed of 80 km per hour, thrusting you into the sky while rotat ing all the while. What s more, you never know which way you ll go down. 2., Riesenradplatz 1 seasonal; through Sep 9:0023:45 (01) 729 54 30 wienerriesenrad.com 0 EISVOGEL 2., Riesenradplatz 5 Mon Sun 11:000:00 (01) 908 11 87 Stadtgasthauseisvogel.a V TORNADO SWING 2., Prater 4a praterwien.com 0 HOTEL PSYCHO 2., Prater 50b prater.at/ hotelpsycho Less terrifying perhaps (but also not as simple as it seems) is the Praterturm. a chain swing carousel with a twist: It starts on ground level, then soars 1 17 meters above ground, giving you a bird's eye view while your seat is suspended near horizontal as you spin. Opened in 2010, it holds the honor of World's Sen it id Highest Carousel. But, what s an amusement park without a rollercoaster? Recently immortalized in Austrian actor/comedian . Josef Hader's directorial film debut by the same name, the Wilde Mans ( Wild Mouse) is a compact hurricane of a ride, compensating with maniacal, abrupt turns for its lack of large, highspeed loops. FAMOUS HAUNTS But there s more to the 1 rater than just whiplash and trembling legs: With its cheesy, eyecatching monsters.props and sound effects, the Geisterschloss ( Ghost Castle) is a a WILDE MAUS ROLLERCOASTER 2., Prater 108 praterwien.com BLACK MAMBA 2., Prater 104b praterwien.com SCHWEIZERHAUS 2., Prater 116 Mon Sun 11:0023:00 (01) 728 01 520 schweizerhaus.at depending on your sense of irony either terrifying or (deliciously) terrible. Open for over 50 years, it s an oldschool screamer filled withglow in thedarkskeletons,tinny sot i nt I ef fects ant I d i isty foam ri il "quot;gt;1 ter horrors a t rial one way ttr another. Somewhat more modern. Hotel Psycho is an updated iteration of the ghost train with tar grislier and more realistic effects. Visitors can even tailor the program, choosing be tween Psycho 'light' and '100\% horror' Still, be reasonable with your expectations: The fake blood and gore has little to do with the 11 it chcock classic, despite its name. As a fiital refuge ft "quot;gt;r 11 ic energyc Iraitied, the Zeiss Planetarium has an impressive and highly educational program, with a variety of shows and tours oft he cosmos projected right in front of you. Take a deep breath, because you'll st ion lie out again, either in t he carnival frenzy of the Wurstelprater or on your way back to the norn lalcv of evervdav life. ZEISS PLANETARIUM 2., Oswald Thomas Platz 1 see website for shows (01) 891 74 15 0000 planetariumwien.at