Points of View

The river, lively action on Danube Island and the New Danube, the tributaries of the Old Danube with swimming beaches and boat houses can be observed from high above.

Vienna's landmark, the Giant Ferris Wheel, turns leisurely to its highest point (64 meters) and enables the visitor to enjoy impressive views of the city and the spacious green areas of the Prater down below.

Of course, one can also see an imposing view of Vienna from St. Stephen's Cathedral. To do this, however, one has to climb a narrow winding staircase with 343 steps to the tower-keepers room in the 72-meter-high South Tower (137 meters high, finished in 1433).

Views of the old city around the cathedral are especially rewarding. More accessible and equally rewarding is the view from the 60-meter-high observation platform of the North Tower, which can be reached by an elevator; here, the heavy Pummerin, the giant 21-ton bell of the cathedral, rings in the new year at midnight on December 31.