The Riesenrad (meaning "giant wheel") is a Ferris wheel in Vienna, Austria. It was one of the earliest Ferris wheels to be built, having been erected in 1897 to celebrate Emperor Franz Josef I's golden Jubilee. The designer was an Englishman, Walter Bassett , which explains why the wheel's diameter is a round number in Imperial units - 200 feet (approximately 61 m). The Riesenrad is now one of Vienna's most popular tourist attractions, and symbolises the city for many people.
The wheel originally had 30 gondolas, but was severely damaged in the Second World War, and when it was rebuilt, only 15 gondolas were replaced. The Riesenrad famously appeared in the post-war film noir The Third Man.
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