Leopoldstadt (2nd district)

The 2nd district (Leopoldstadt) lies between the Danube Canal and the Danube, which strictly speaking makes it an island. It has the largest share of green and open space of the inner districts – and, in the Prater, the best-known amusement park in the country.

The Giant Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad) is the landmark, but the Prater is much more than the Wurstelprater, its amusement park: behind it begins a floodplain landscape where you can walk for hours. The Pratermuseum tells the story behind it. At the other end of the district are the Danube Canal promenades with bars, restaurants and street art, the Architekturzentrum Wien (Architecture Center Vienna) and the flak tower in the Augarten – a structure that reveals how Vienna deals with its history.

Musically, the district is served by MuTh, the concert hall of the Vienna Boys' Choir; the Blue Danube Waltz was written in the Johann Strauss Apartment.

Historically, Leopoldstadt was the center of Jewish Vienna; until 1938, a large part of the Jewish population lived here, which is why the district was long known as the “Mazzesinsel” (Matzah Island). Around the Karmelitermarkt, it is once again one of the liveliest parts of the city today.

Getting there: U1 (Praterstern, Nestroyplatz), U2 (Messe-Prater, Krieau), S-Bahn (commuter rail) at Praterstern.