We went out to the Prater a few weeks ago (and stopped at the park too!) Here is Elora so excited to be on the swing!
And of course, her favorite, the teeter-totter. We have now made up a little song that she sings whenever she goes on one. I love the teeter totters here, they are easy for her to get on and off of all by herself, and don’t go as high as the one in Glendale (sad for me, but nice because I am not scared she will fly off!)
So the Prater is a permanent carnival where there are rides and stuff. It was set aside as an area of free public enjoyment by the emporer in 1766, and has developed over the years into what it is today. Elora found a small carousel she wanted to ride, which was really cute. She was so excited!
Okay, but here is one of the characters on the carousel… kind of scary! What kid would choose to ride with that guy instead of one of the cute horses?!?
At the Prater is a giant ferris wheel… here is some info that I thought was super interesting courtesy of wikipedia!
Here is a panorama Chris took of the city while we were riding. So beautiful!
This is a view of the Prater from above. You can see there is another “Ferris ride” (that is what Elora calls Ferris Wheels) and a bunch of other rides. Elora wanted to go on all the rides (many of which are roller coasters and things for older kids), so we had to tell her that some of those rides are too scary for her. Maybe not the best choice of words. Now she talks about the ferris ride and says, “The other rides were too scary. Lots of scary rides. I don’t like scary rides. Do you like scary rides?”
Here we are in our huge gondola. It is actually not that exciting of a ride, you can barely tell you are moving. But the view is nice. Some of the gondolas are set up with fancy dining rooms in them, so we were wondering how do you reserve those ones?
There is a room with neat displays that show the entire history of the area where the Prater is, starting back when the Romans were here. I don’t remember all that it said, but it showed models of the area at different points in history. Very fascinating stuff. It said that after the Reisenrad was damaged in World War II that the Prater was one of the first areas that the Viennese people wanted to repair, because it represented the spirit of the people of Vienna. I have seen many beautiful places that were destroyed during the war and rebuilt or repaired… it has made me admire the people who live here.
I am excited to go back and visit the Prater again during the Spring or Summer when it is a little more lively. You don’t have to pay to get in, just to go on rides, so you can come any time and just walk around. It’s a neat place.
Check out our picture gallery for more pictures of our European adventures as well as hiking trips in Utah and family photos.
You guys are having such a great time! I want to come visit!!!
Dude, Jess, you are welcome anytime! We even have a great couch that turns into a really nice bed.