Vienna - Prater

The Prater, the large natural park between the Danube and the right-hand Danube Canal, is almost like another world. It is lively and exciting by day and something of a twilight zone by night. The park covers an area of some 1287ha/3,200 acres, stretching southeastwards almost 10km/6.5mi from the Prater crossroads through the former "Augebiet" to the end of the Prater. In the first section lies the so-called "Wurstel" or "Volk" Prater, with eating houses, dance halls, a giant wheel, roundabouts, switchback, dinosaur park and many other attractions.

Nearly every kind of sport is catered for in the Prater. There is riding in the Freudenau, trotting in the Krieau, swimming in the stadium pool, football in the Ernst Happel stadium built in 1931 and roofed over in 1986, cycling in the Ferry-Dusika stadium, tennis and bowls at the WAC courts. The Prater was first documented in 1403. Maximilian II had the area fenced off in the 16th C. so that he could use it as a personal hunting reserve, and it was not opened to the general public until 1766. The first Punch and Judy shows date from 1767, and the first firework displays from 1771. In 1791 Blanchard's first hot air balloon rose into the sky; in 1840 Calafati began to operate a big roundabout here; since 1854 it has been guarded by "the Great Chinaman".