Lively Diversity.

Challenge: 2 (sports shoes)
Circuit: Prater via Krieau, Heustadelwasser, Lusthaus and Fasangarten
Length: 13.00km oder 10.00km
Start point: Bitzinger hot dog stand 1020 Vienna, Gabor-Steiner-Weg (Praterstern) Coordinates: 48°13'3.57"N, 16°23'38.92"E
Public transport: U1, U2, 5, O > Praterstern stop (5min by foot to the start point)

Google-Maps  


The »Wurstelprater« has a lot going on, no question. Blood will rush to your head on the rides, and the G forces will really mix up the stuff in your stomach. Most people soon head home tired, with ringing in their ears, and a Lángos finger (Hungarian frybread) dripping with oil gripped in their hand. But not the Urbs, their real fun, walking, is just beginning.   There are kilometres of avenues, wide gravel paths, dirt paths, and narrow boggy paths through the underbrush of alluvial forest just waiting to be tackled in the »Green Prater«. The way there is flat and uninterrupted and it would be easy to fall into a »walking trance«, if there weren’t so many nice little places, like places to hire boats and places to play. After the long hike, we Urbs fell into the comfy chairs at the Planetarium to recuperate and be amazed by the wonders of space. Tip: On humid days, the mosquitoes are thick on the water – so it's a good idea to have something with long sleeves in the backpack!  

ROUTE DESCRIPTION 
At the big wheel take Eduard Lanf Weg (between Donau Jump and Park Casino). At Kolariks Luftburg at the end of the Würstelprater, go left (conference centre) and then immediately turn back to the right into Kaiserallee. Follow this straight ahead until near the middle of the Krieau horse racing track where a track leads to the right to Hauptallee (the main avenue). Heustadelwasser river starts at the crossing of Hauptallee and Stadionallee, walk along the banks till you get back to Hauptallee which goes south to Lusthaus. If you want to extend this track by 3km you can walk round Lusthauswasser and Mauthnerwasser lakes. The path into the alluvial forest on Rennbahnstraße is hidden a little just in front of the golf club. Back at Lusthaus a narrow path goes west. Follow this till just before Donaukanal go in a big curve under the A23 till you get to Wasserwiesenweg and then Lusthausstraße. Now head straight north-west past the Jesuitenwiese lawn over Konstantinhügel to Hauptallee, which goes directly back to Praterstern.  

HISTORY
It was Emperor Joseph II, the people's friend, who opened the Prater to the common people in 1766. Previously the fenced in area had only been open to nobles, who were taken by coach along Kastanienallee, which was already in place, to Lusthaus. Shortly after being opened, coffee shops appeared on Hauptallee, and became meeting places for the fashionable middle class. At the current Praterstern, the former puppet theatre, where Hanswurst (a character who Wurstelprater is named after) made all the children laugh, is today a fast growing venue in the north of Vienna with ever more attractions. At the south of the Prater in 1839 the Rennbahn Freudenau race course and in 1874 another called Trabrennbahn Krieau, became meeting points for horse racing fans. The green heart of the Prater was reserved for nature lovers and, apart from the A23 cutting through, still is.  

LET'S GO TO VIENNA TONIGHT – THE WORLD'S FIRST THEME PARK
On today's Kaiserwiese, in May 1895, the world's first theme park opened at the Vienna Prater – Venice in Vienna. With an area of 5,000 m² visitors were presented with true-to-life replicas of Italian cafés and buildings where they could go inside, as well as attractions such as »Murano Tower« where they could watch glass blowers, or artificial canals where they could go for romantic rides in gondolas with Italian gondoliers. The stages in the park showed comedies, operettas and ballets with famous performers. The illusory cityscape attracted people from all levels of society, and there were two million visitors in the first year. There were new attractions every year, and one of these was the famous Vienna Big Wheel in 1897.    

AREA TIPS  
Pratermuseum im Planetarium
Real curiosities from the Prater's history!
Friday – Sunday: 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 6pm
1020 Vienna, Oswald-Thomas-Platz 1  

Vienna Planetarium
Events calendar at www.astronomie-wien.at
1020 Vienna, Oswald-Thomas-Platz 1  

Krieau – Vienna's race track since 1874
Events calendar at www.krieau.at
1020 Vienna, Nordportalstraße 247  

Boat rental at Heustadelwasser
Corner of Stadionallee and Prater Hauptallee  

Rennbahn Freudenau (now an event venue)
1020 Vienna, Freudenau 65