Vienna
Prater and Danube
When the kids need a change of pace, head to the eastern section of Vienna, to ride the Riesenrad ferris wheel, run around the Prater park, and explore the Danube (Donau), where you'll find local families relaxing along the river.
Riesenrad -
Before going up in the giant ferris wheel, be sure to stop into the Panorama Museum, dioramas of the history of Vienna. The first diorama starts with the Romans, sitting on the banks of the Danube. More dioramas display the construction of St. Stephen's cathedral, Turks camped at the edge of Vienna, lords and ladies strolling in the Prater park, and World War II, when then city was in ruins, but the Riesenrad wasn't totally destroyed.Riding the Riesenrad is like stepping into the 19th century. The Riesenrad was built in 1898, as part of the celebration for Emperor Franz Joseph. Perfect for everyone in the family, you ride in large red gondolas that slowly rise to a height of 64 meters, then descend, in a stately fashion, back down to the ground.Volksprater - Volksprater (also called Wurstelprater) is a funfair, amusement park rides and roller coasters for everyone in the family.
Prater - The Prater is a big park with miles of greenery, lots of open space to stretch your legs, shout, run around, fly a kite, and relax.
Hauptallee is big long promenade lined with chestnut trees, you'll find three play areas along the Hauptallee, with swings and climbing structures, and if you want to go at a faster pace, rent bikes and surreys. Little ones will enjoy the Lilliput Bahn, a miniature train, and older kids will want to take a turn at mini-golf or jump on the trampolines.The Donau (Danube River) - The Donau flowing through the heart of Vienna is a smooth and wide. You can choose to explore the Donau in different ways - biking on paths along the river, renting boats, or wading and playing on sandy beaches.
Donauinsel - Take the U-Bahn to the "Donauinsel" stop. Donauinsel is an artificial island in the middle of the "New Donau." The river is very straight here (that's by design), but it's a great place to rent bikes and surreys, and cycle along the river. And, it's fun to walk across the pontoon bridge across the river. Here you'll find lots of cafes and eating places.Alte Donau - If you want to get out on the "Old Donau," take the U-Bahn to the "Alte Donau" stop. This is the old, curving river, lined with trees and vacation houses, popular with local familes. Just south of the subway stop, rent pedal boats, electric boats, motor boats and sail boats. This is just a wonderful thing to do on a warm summer's afternoon. To get lots of exercise, rent a pedal boat (some of the boats have slides, so bring your swim suits.). We had a great time boating up and down the Donau in a very quiet electric boat.Strandbad Alte Dontau (Strandbadaltedonau) - This is a sand beach, with play areas for little kids, grass and trees, and the perfect place to go if you have toddlers. There's also a swimming area, roped off from the main river, and the water is pretty warm in summer.
