Since the completion, and subsequent resounding success, of the London Eye, newly rebranded “observation wheels” have been appearing in cities all across the world. German’s capital is the latest major city to attempt to boost tourism through the construction of a Ferris wheel. Berlin is already one of Europe’s most popular destinations and the Great Berlin Wheel looks set to take its place as one of the city’s top tourist attractions.
The Great Berlin Wheel will soar 575 feet (175 meters) into the sky becoming not only the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, besting the London Eye by 130 ft., but also the tallest in the world, rising 30 ft. taller that the current record holder, the Singapore Flyer.
The World’s Tallest Ferris Wheels
- 575 ft. Great Berlin Wheel (Not yet completed)
- 541 ft. Singapore Flyer- Singapore
- 520 ft. Star of Nanchang- Nanchang, China
- 440 ft. London Eye- London, UK
- 390 ft. Suzhou Ferris Wheel- Suzhou, China
- 390 ft. Southern Star- Melbourne, Australia (Temporarily closed)
Like the majority of Europe’s historic cities Berlin is comprised mainly of low-rise buildings, with only a couple of structures surpassing 300 feet. The observation wheel will tower over the German capital becoming an instantly recognizable part of Berlin’s skyline. Only the Berliner Fernehturm (TV tower), a much loved landmark-building, will stand taller than the observation wheel.
Tallest Structures In Berlin (After The Completion Of The Great Berlin Wheel)
- 1207 ft. - Berliner Fernsehturm
- 575 ft. - The Great Berlin Wheel (not yet completed)
- 480 ft. - Berliner Funkturm
- 433 ft. - Park Inn Berlin
- 426 ft. - Treptowers
Competition For The Best View Of Berlin
Although the Great Berlin Wheel will be the tallest Ferris wheel in the world it will not be the highest observation deck in Berlin. This honor will remain with the world famous Berliner Fernsehturm, where visitors can experience the city from 669 ft. The new observation wheel will go into direct competition with this tower and the historic Berliner Funkturm to provide tourists with the best views of German’s capital.
The Wheel Facts And Figures
The wheel is the brainchild of the Great Wheel Corporation and its design is similar to that of the current tallest Ferris wheel in the world, the Singapore Flyer.
- Height: 575 feet (175 m.)
- Capsules: 28
- Passengers per Capsule: 40
- Capacity of the entire Wheel: 2.470 visitors per hour/ 31,000 visitors per day
- Speed: 0.25 meters per second
- Duration of rotation: 30 minutes
- Operation Time: 360 days a year
- Steel cable: 6,000 meters
- Weight of the wheel: about 6,500 tons
Facts taken from the Great Berlin Wheel’s official website.
 |
