Yesterday, I used my last Saturday afternoon in Vienna to experience the Riesenrad, Vienna’s iconic Ferris wheel. Built in 1897, the Riesenrad is a historic Viennese landmark and continues to offer a remarkable view of the city today.

After buying a ticket for €8.50 and waiting in line for awhile, I entered one of the (slightly creaky) wooden cabins with around ten other people.

The afternoon sun poured in through the glass, and the open windows let in a lovely breeze. Because the Riesenrad is a part of the Prater amusement park, which offers many other attractions, I could hear screams and laughter floating up from the several roller coasters underneath me.

The ride, one trip up and back down again, took about twenty minutes. The wheel moved slowly, leaving plenty of time for me to appreciate the view and take pictures. I enjoyed picking out various Viennese landmarks from above, such as the Rathaus, the Votivkirche, and Stephansdom, which is in the picture above.  I was also able to see parts of the city that were less familiar to me, as in this scene:

As I enter my last week here in Vienna, I’m very glad that I was able to take this opportunity to see the city from a new perspective.