Spanish Riding School
The Hofburg Palace is a must-see when visiting Vienna. The power-house of the Austrian empire, it holds a wealth of rich culture and history waiting to be explored. The Spanish Riding School is a renowned institution and tradition that has been part of Vienna’s rich culture since 1565. It’s a traditional riding school for Lipizzan horses that perform their haute école equestrian skills to audiences in the Hofburg Palace. This classical dressage attracts worldwide visitors and you can even watch the horses and their riders train in the great Winter Riding School, too.
Did you know:
- The ‘Spanish’ part of the tradition comes from the Lipizzan horses, which actually originate from the Iberian Peninsula.
- Baroque architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach designed the riding hall meant for aristocratic boys to learn how to ride – now it is the stunning backdrop to this classic Viennese tradition.
- The horses are taken from their birthplace, Piber, at the age of four and are trained until they are ten before they take part in the School Quadrille to see if they pass the test to become a true Spanish Riding School stallion.
Things to see:
Members of the public are invited to watch the morning training held on a weekly basis (Tuesday-Friday). Here, you will be able to see the pedigree horses put through their paces to keep them in shape and to prepare them for their live performances. In the training you will be able to see the horses practice many skilled moves and their riders show off some of their expertise and finesse.
For spectators who want to admire the Lipizzaners of the Spanish Riding School, but are neither horse experts nor riders, the training of the young stallions is particularly interesting, because the gymnastics of the horses is precisely commented and you get a good impression of what the work of the riders of the horses means. The program will be offered from July 4, 2022 to August 6, 2022 between 10:00-10:45 am.
Spanish Riding School and its Lipizzaner stallions are famous and loved around the world! But not everyone is familiar with where the horses come from, their rigorous training and the history of their tradition. The summer programme, “Piber meets Vienna,” gives you the opportunity to learn more about what goes on during the formative years as a Lipizzan stud.The programme not only shows a delegation of eight 4-year-old performance-tested mares and brood mares with their delightful young foals but also various historical carriages and traditional uniforms. One worth a watch!
The Spanish Riding School puts on a number of gala performances to the public. These are not included in your Vienna PASS. You will be able to find more information and the exact schedule and box office on their official website www.srs.at.
More information about the exact program and ticket sales can be found on the website of the Spanish Riding School.
Morning Exercise until 31. December
From September 2020, tickets for the Training are space and date bound due to the current Corona safety precautions. Registration is kindly requested in advance. Admission 15 minutes before the starting time.
Public
Metro:U3 Herrengasse
Tram:1, 2, D, 71 Burgring
Bus: 1A, 2A Michaelerplatz
Hop On Hop Off
Route: Yellow Line / Red Line
Bus Stop:
Kunsthistorisches Museum / Heldenplatz
Address
Michaelerplatz 1, 1010 Vienna
Phone: +43 1 533 90 31
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