The Spanish Riding School for Kids in Vienna: Lipizzaner Horse Performances & Special Family Tours

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna offers a captivating experience for children, showcasing the ballet of white Lipizzaner horses and their riders performing incredible dressage feats in a baroque setting. Special guided tours designed for kids aged 6-12 provide insights into the history, riding tradition, and the horses themselves, including behind-the-scenes access.

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna, the oldest of its kind in the world, preserves classical horsemanship for over 450 years. This page highlights attractions specifically geared towards younger visitors. Children aged 6 to 12 can join special guided tours in German, delving into the history of riding, the tradition of the 'High School', and learning about the stars of the show, the Lipizzaner horses. These tours offer a glimpse behind the scenes, visiting the tack room with its golden bridles and going into the stables to meet the horses. Visitors will learn interesting facts, such as why dark foals are considered lucky charms, how a horse scale works, and why some horses are on a diet. There's even a chance to meet the stable cats relaxing on cozy blankets. The performances themselves, set in the baroque Winter Riding Hall, feature the 'white ballet' of the Lipizzaner horses, accompanied by classical Viennese music. Children as young as three are welcome, with free admission for those under six on a lap seat. The performances showcase the young, often still grey, stallions, as well as the fully trained school stallions in various disciplines like the school quadrille, figures on and over the ground, pas de deux, and work on a long rein. The morning work with music offers a look at the daily training of riders and their Lipizzaners, though the famous school jumps are not performed daily and may only be occasionally seen during these training sessions.

The page provides information on ticket prices for performances and morning training sessions, with variations for high and low seasons, and offers discounts with the Vienna City Card. Separate ticket booking links are provided for performances, children's tours, and morning training. Specific inquiries for wheelchair spots should be made via email.