Spanish Riding School

Vienna's Spanish Riding School, the Spanische Hofreitschule, has been dedicated to practicing classical dressage for over 400 years.

The school was founded in 1572 during the Habsburg monarchy and is housed within the Hofburg. It's the oldest institution of its kind in the world and one of the highlights of any visit to Vienna.

In 1735, the Winter Riding School was opened to offer horse riding classes to young aristocrats. The stunning Baroque arena is the current location of the world-famous Lipizzaner horses' practice sessions and performances.

The Lipizzaner Horses

The Imperial Austrian Court enjoyed raising and breeding horses, to the extent that, at the end of the 16th century, Charles II Archduke of Austria founded the Lipizzaner Stud. The stud is located in what is now modern-day Slovenia, and still to this day continues the tradition of horse breeding.

The first Lipizzaner horses were brought over from Spain. Fascinatingly, the horses' coats are black until they are eight years old when most of them develop the grey-white colour associated with their breed.

The riders go through more than ten years of training with their Lipizzaner horses to be able to achieve the complex dressage movements in time with the music.

How to see the School

There are two options for those wanting to discover more of the iconic Spanish Riding School in Vienna. You can buy tickets for one of the spectacular performances, allowing you to watch the incredibly specialized classical talents of both the horses and the riders within the magnificent Winter Riding School.

Alternatively, you can choose to go on a guided tour of the school, on which you'll learn all about the horses and the history of the institution, and even get to see the horses in their stables, as well as admire the building's beautiful architecture.