Vienna's two most recognisable structures, the Wiener Riesenrad (Ferris wheel) and the Stephansdom (cathedral), are both visible from the platforms.

Nordbahnhof (Imperial and Royal North railway station) in the style in which the names of virtually all public works were rendered at the time.

The train traffic to Germany and its seaports passed through the nearby Nordwestbahnhof (Northwest railway station), which was opened in 1872.

During World War II, the station was severely damaged by bombs and subsequently fell into disuse; it was finally demolished in 1965.

On platform level, the new station was completed in April 2007; prior to that it had been renamed to Wien Praterstern again with the introduction of the new timetable in December 2006.

[1] No longer needed by the Austrian Federal Railways, the site of the former freight station is planned to be transformed into a new city district.