Spanish Riding School

An interesting place to visit given the beautiful building, history of the work they do and the horses. We only did the visit to the training session which is held in a large room inside the building. It’s on for a hour, but is pretty dull to watch as the horses trot around with a bit of a narrative on the history and work they do. It’s fine for about 20 minutes but then is pretty insipid and boring after that. If you’re passionate about the horses, then you get a bit more out of it.

We bought standing tickets online for a show which was really impressive to see, the view is somewhat obstructed by the pillars but it’s not too bad. I’d recommend getting there at least 30 minutes early to get choice of where to stand. Despite tickets saying you need to print it’s fine having them on your phone, they didn’t even scan ours. There were several performances with horses in training up to the fully trained horses which was a noticeable skill gap. There’s a bit of information in between each show in German and English. There’s no breaks so go toilet beforehand lol

Booked tickets for me and my companion for the 4th of January 2025. We liked the show and the music, it was very classy. We booked seats on the upper floor. I need to mention that the space was really nice but very cold. We were shaking, expecially our feet from the freezing cold in the building. We were expecting a warmer atmosphere in a closed space. Also i was expecting more impressive tricks. One of the horses was trying but couldn't relly jump. It needed more exercise maybe.

I was looking forward to this experience and knew that it was only training, not a full performance but it was a little disappointing. Photos and videos were not allowed while the horses were in the training area and they just trotted around in circles basically. It’s a long time to sit or stand and watch something that’s fairly boring. It was interesting to see the facility and the large oval pen with the world’s largest horse walker but I thought there would be more stables, history, videos maybe? If this wasn’t included in the Vienna Pass and I had paid full price I probably would’ve been pretty disappointed.

I went for a tour (not a show) and it was nice to see. We were able to see the performance area as well as visit the stables and see the horses. I cannot speak to the shows, but I enjoyed my visit years ago.

I have recently visited the Spanish Riding School and found the experience underwhelming. The basic entrance ticket is expensive, yet it does not allow visitors to take photos inside the stables or offer even a small performance or demonstration. For the price, I expected more engagement or at least a glimpse of the horses in action. Unfortunately, the visit felt incomplete and not worth the cost. I wouldn’t recommend it unless they improve the experience for visitors.

A beautiful building with years of history. We attended the training session which is held in a large room inside the building. It is approximately 1 hour, but it is quite boring only to watch horses trot around. It’s fine for about 20 minutes, not more. They don’t do any special tricks or something impressive. I agree with another review, which says that it is more like a tourist trap. We wouldn’t recommend it, at least not for watching the training sessions. Also, photos are not allowed , not even without flash.

If you know dressage, you can appreciate what they’re doing, which is more difficult than it seems. I would suggest that you get a cheap seat or standing room. It’s only 45 minutes. $110 Euro is a bit steep. Beautiful horses though. .

Review is for the back stage tour only. Only negative is that you cannot hug or kiss the horses, as I guide told us multiple times. Great view of the show arena (empty). Got to see all the horses up close in their stables. Tour emphasizes history, but any and all questions answered. Really a nice tour.

If you have small children that need to be very active. THIS IS NOT FOR YOU! We went to see the training event at 11am and it was very boring. You are better watching wet paint dry. Is it cool to see them trot and do other basic maneuvers. However, there are no jumps, no amazing tricks. However the architecture is very amazing! (No pictures, no videos, nothing is allowed) Not sure why because they don't do a thing.

According to a guidebook I perused in advance of a planned Austrian trip the two things I shouldn't miss in Vienna were performances of 1) the Spanish Riding School and 2) the Vienna Boys Choir. Fortunately for me, I found a performance featuring both on a single ticket and advance-purchased the second most expensive ticket. Seeing a performance by the Spanish Riding School is akin to going to the ballet if horses were the stars of that show. Gorgeous horses have been trained for years to execute the precise, small, orchestrated steps on display here and when the horses were performing I was rapt (though I doubt children would be). Between the horses being trotted out to delicately dance, there was a German/English narrative introducing each step of the show (lengthy and somewhat boring) and performances by the Vienna Boy's Choir. Without these things to break up the performance the show would be quite short. The Boy's Choir performs from a second floor space which proved fine. The horses perform in the large, rectangular arena on the ground floor. This is where I'd recommend you purchase seating, along the narrow portion of the arena, as it provides the clearest view of the horse's movements. Photos are not allowed during any part of the show. The performance by the Spanish Riding School is expertly executed if low-key and quiet. The horses aren't jumping; they're doing fancy footwork. It is something that was interesting to see once, but I'd have no interest in a return visit.

The rehearsal at the Spanish Horse riding School it is the worst tourist trap I have ever paid money for . Plainly said , it is a BIG rip off . They got 5 to 6 riders who were just walking round and round with the horses for an hour. We saw no training at all. No dressage , no choreography . None of the movements on a real show were trained. After a while lots of people were leaving . Disappointed & feeling misled. They should be ashamed for charging the price they do for this embarrassing,, training ". They have a lot of negative reviews and still they continue with this scam . No shame at all ! I wish more people would read the reviews & not go there .

Worst use of $70 since the last FIFA came out . All that money just to watch a few average horses walk in a circle for over an hour. I have never been so unimpressed in my entire life. #HOUSTONRODEOONTOP.

Kind of disappointed at the horse show. I thought it would have been longer than an hour at these prices. Also I thought it would have had more horse tricks such as jumping. Maybe they were having an off night? The Vienna boy's choir was the best part of the show. Unfortunately the acoustics in the riding school, especially from the earthen ground muffled the sound of the choir. I recommend you see the choir in a different venue.

Prior to the pandemic, I had visited the Spanish Riding School of Vienna in 3 separate occasions and I always enjoyed my visits there. We just visited it today and the experience was nothing like my past visits. We went to the ticket counter to purchase admission only to be told by a very rude ticket content worker that we had to purchase a guided ticket. I explained that I had purchased a self guided option on my previous visits but she cut me off and very rudely (again) stated that was not possible. Now the web site does not state that guided tours are the only option hence my confusion but the attitude of this ticket counter employee was shockingly (and aggressively) rude and obnoxious. Not someone who should be working with the public and it certainly convinced us not to waste our money on paying to enter this location.

This place is so famous that we thought our 7 year-old boy would love to watch the training session. But no. The performance was elegant but quite boring.

We joined the tour of this Spanish Riding School which consisted of visit to the winter riding arena, stable, equipment room, and horse walking area (treadmill for horses). It was interesting to know the training path of riders and horses as well as in depth breeding practices of the horses. Taking pictures inside was not allowed when the horses were present. The tour lasted about 50 minutes and if you are into horses, I'd recommend.

We were in town to immerse ourselves in the festive holiday spirit and Christmas markets and decided to pay a visit to watch the horses during their morning workout at the Spanish Riding School. We booked it online in advance for the morning 10-12 workout. Cost 15€-book online in advance. NOTE: you still must exchange your online reservation ("voucher") for a special paper ticket. The morning exercise begins at 10 but they start letting people in at 9:50. We happened to arrive around 9:30 and were VERY glad we did as there was already a line to get in. By the time they started letting people in, there were several hundred people in line and as it is open seating, there is a BIG ADVANTAGE to being early in the line for best seats/ views and to ensure a spot in the lower level. TIP: have someone in your group get in line right away and someone else get in the separate line to collect/buy tickets. How it works: ( morning exercise) -ticket is from 10-12 and you can stay as long as you want and it is possible to arrive later -each half hour a new group of horses/riders (typically around 5 horses per group) is brought in and the rider takes them through various activities -each horse/group is doing different stuff- think ice skaters at the olympics practicing specific moves before their program-not coordinated in any way -an announcer tells you a bit about the horses and constantly tells people taking photos is not allowed (although lots of people were sneaking photos) -while they say the horses will not practice signature jumps and other moves, during the 75 minutes we watched, we did see a couple of practice jumps. Bottom line-this is much more interesting and enjoyable than I expected. The horses, even in practice-mode mode move with amazing grace and style. A great substitute if you aren't visiting on a weekend or other time when the full shows are going on.

The performance was impressive! We very much enjoyed the show, even from the 'Standing Only' viewing area. However, there were several issues which caused us to be annoyed. The event staff telling us to put our cameras way and that there is no photography during the performance was irritating. My camera was only hanging from a strap from my neck, not even being used, when an employee interrupted my viewing of the show to tell me to put the camera away. Other patrons were clearly photographing and recording regardless of the warnings by the staff. The pillars which blocked part of our view were annoying, yet we appreciate their decorative purpose. Other patrons with Standing room tickets kept sitting on the ledge where we were standing. The prices were a bit high for the limited experience. 54 euro for two adults for the Standing Only area. We would have liked better views of the horses in their stalls. After the show we tried to view the horses, but access to the stables were pretty far away, behind glass windows. The announcer provided German and English versions of narration. The lighting and music was perfect. Very nicely done! The riders and horses were so impressive. It's difficult to believe they could perform the maneuvers and tricks. We like it but I doubt we'll ever return to attend another show.

Pay attention to the comments about queueing for tickets, etc. Can be confusing. Saw both practice and show on our visit to Vienna, satisfying a 'bucket list' item on my list since 1st grade ; ) Beautiful environment, excellent organization, nice little cafe on site, gift shop had some nice items in it. Would have liked to do the tour as well. Maybe next time!

Do not go unless you have a the Vienna Pass or some kind of inclusive ticket. It's really not worth it if you have to pay the full ticket price of €15 just to see the horses do their morning exercises. You can catch this between 10am and 12pm, but there's not much to see. It's really just a bunch of riders, bringing their horses around the ring. Plus, don't expect a seat if you're not coming right at opening time. Do expect to hover along the side and catch a glimpse of the horses. No pictures or filming is allowed. They enforce this by having one lady walk around the entire premises, asking people not to film. It was pretty pointless because as soon as she left, people would just continue filming. I can't speak for the performances, which I believe is a separate ticket, but if you were planning to come just to see the morning exercises, you can skip it. Your time would probably be better spent sleeping in.

Unfortunately we didn't get the opportunity to attend the riding schools morning practice because it was sold out. However we took a guided tour and it was really interesting. Even my husband, who's not very interested in horses, enjoyed the tour a lot. Our guide was very informative and funny. We got to visit both summer and winter riding school and of course the stables. It is not allowed to touch or photograph the horses, which is not at all easy. Next time in Vienna, I will definitely go to the morning practice. The school is by the way open every day except Mondays.

I was mesmerized! If you love horses this was the ultimate! Mozart was playing in the background- the horses danced to their trainers delight! You only live once and to see this going on- and to learn that generations and generations of horses, trainers and riders are the historic foundation of today's wonderful Lipizzaners - you have to see it to believe it- and I only saw the morning training. The show was sold out! Next time we go we will book in advance to see the show. You have to stand or sit in an arena but horseman know that- we are used to that! What makes this so special is what makes Vienna so special! The partnership between people and animals and beauty- cleanliness- art and music! I wish I could live there!!!

We not really enjoy the show much. I don't see anything too special about the horses performance. The interesting part was we seat and eat outside and can watch the horses at the same time. Just that their smell was not good

We saw the show on May 3rd which included a good size portion of the Vienna Boys Choir. I will sum it up by saying if this show was put on for one of the Holy Roman Emperors - all involved would have - shall I say - perhaps found refuge in Switzerland, and the horses would have been pulling the tourist carriages out front. The Stallions - tonight must have been the B team. During the opening routine - one of the horses was not under control - they all came in - turned around and went out. Things did not improve. The dressage routines were routine, I've seen better at rodeo gymkhana. The airs above the ground were a complete and unmitigated failure. The Choir was very nice - but since this a riding arena, the acoustics are not the best. Sensing that the night was a disaster - the MC made a big deal about a very special surprise that we were all very privileged to be a part of wrt to the boys choir. Drum roll please - they changed into their traditional outfits! The applause was deafening! JK. About the seats - Although I would recommend against seeing the show - I understand that this is, as it was for my wife, on many peoples bucket list. Maddeningly difficult to figure out the seat plusses and minuses. We were in the third row back at the arena floor level. You definitely get a close up view of the horses- but little or no incline to the seats - so you will need to look around the heads of those in front of you unless you are in the first row. The first tier rail seats in the center of the arena would probably be better- and you won't hate yourself for how much you spent on the way out. Two stars for the boys, zero for the horses.

I'll preface my review by saying two things: 1) we're Americans. And 2) this is a review of our entire experience, not just the show we saw. The experience spanned an entire day, and culminated in the show, which was fantastic. The performance by itself would have earned four and a half stars. The surrounding events were so awful as to be traumatic, and deserved less than one star. I'm putting the entire narrative here, since I couldn't find the cafe or European train line (OBB) here on yelp. I hope it's useful because it upsets me to even recollect the events. We ordered the tix online. They were expensive (appx. $100 each). But we were happy because we got pretty good seats. About twenty minutes after purchase we received a phone call from box office telling us that those seats weren't actually available. We were forced to accept much poorer seats for the same price (the alternative was to get a refund and not see the show.) Next we made train reservations from Switzerland to Vienna, in order to attend the show. We went to the train desk at the local mall in Zurich, to make reservations in person since we were unable to schedule online for the date we wanted. The gentleman who helped us spoke English pretty well, but strangely, our rate went from $65 per person to $138 per person, with downgraded accommodations. ($= Swiss francs, here). The gentleman also lied to us, telling us we were in a four person berth when in fact he put us in a six person berth (further downgraded accommodations). Similar to the seats at the show, once we had committed, the original accommodations were unavailable and we were forced to pay the same price for less desirable accommodations. This low-ball technique seemed to be a frequent strategy in our interactions with Europeans. I'm not sure if it's used only against Americans, but we sure felt like we were being deliberately ripped off. After arriving in vienna and picking up our event tickets we decided to go to the Spanish Riding School cafe, next to the ticket office. We had forgotten our Euros but had Swiss francs and a credit/debit card. After ordering and consuming a piece of chocolate torte and espresso (the torte was stale, not recommended), we were loudly informed that they only accepted Euros. We were dumbfounded. The waiter made several loud comments in German, obviously about our ignorance, to the other patrons in the cafe. The patrons all laughed appreciatively at his comments. He then "graciously" said we could come back tomorrow and bring the money we owed. Talk about a buzz-kill. We were horrified. (We immediately left the cafe, walked across the square to the nearest ATM and procured the money which we promptly took back to pay the rude waiter.) The show with the horses was great. The staff and the emcee at the show all spoke impeccable English and were very nice, even to us Americans.

Unless you are serious riding aficionados, the "morning exercises" are a joke! Very limited seating, giant pillars, a maze to traverse the levels, IMPOSSIBLE to see the horses (which by the way are just being ridden around.) I've seen more action at my daughter's summer horse camp! I'm guessing the performance is special but otherwise, DO NOT BOTHER. Btw, ask for handicapped seats if you can, at least you can sit, instead of going round and round lost and confused why you're there in the first place. Apparently they will try to sell 1000 tickets to watch horses trot back and forth! WHAT A RACKET!!! You couldn't PAY me to go back. Clearly this supports the idea that TOURISTS ARE CHUMPS!

Gayle and I visited the Spanish Riding School during one of their practice sessions. That meant that it was easy to get a ticket, and that no pictures were allowed. We both admired the elegant interior, the beauty of the horses, and the skill of their riders. The practice session (with music) was fun and interesting to watch, and after about a half an hour, it was time to move on.

Spanish riding school just went inside while searching a good restaurant and saw kind of market inside

Maybe we were really tired, but it took us a long time to figure out where exactly the stables were located! We didn't have time on our short stay to see any of the performances or practices, but wanted to at least see the stables. If you are coming from the main palace area, there is the visitor center and gift shop, but the entrance to the stables is across the street and down a funny little side corridor (or maybe we missed the main stables entrance). I read and reread Marguerite Henry's " White Stallion of Lipizza" and Mary Stewart's "Airs Above the Ground" as a younger person, so of course I had a romanticized idea of what the horses and grounds would be like. However, without paying for a show or admission to a practice, the closest you'll get is a courtyard away from the stalls, which makes sense given that these are sensitive and valuable animals. Probably more stars if I had been able to attend a paid performance or stable tour. Most will be disappointed by just looking at the stables across the yard.

I went to both the morning exercise to music from 10 - 12, and then the first tour in the afternoon at 2 pm. I got senior price, which was significantly less than regular price. If you printed out "your ticket" online, you go to the School and find out that that paper ticket cannot get you in. You wasted your time standing in the wrong line. You still have to stand in line to get your REAL ticket, like everyone else. Yes, the school was hard to find. We took a Uber car from our Viking Ship to the School, and driver could not find the school. After he dropped us off, we still had to wander around and ask and ask for where the entrance was. So I did not get a seat there and had to stand the entire time. Seating is limited, and visibility even seated, is not that good, because the pillars get in the way. As the other reviewers wrote, I would NOT waste your money on the morning exercise to music. It was just the horses walking or trotting around, even at lose rein, no dressage, really, and a new set of different horses in 30 min, but not doing anything more exciting. The people I went with, left after only 5 min because it was so "boring". Me, I stayed the entire 2 hours, because I had to stick around the school till the 2 pm tour. So I give the morning exercise 2 stars. The 2 pm tour I rate 4 stars. Another reviewer gave such a detailed description of the 1 hour tour, I won't be redundant. Of course people wanna know why only the stallions are accepted, and I knew the answer and blurted it out TESTOSTERONE!! And even with that, only half the stallions have the muscle strength to do the jumps and leaps. I did ask how many attendants there are per number of horses. What is the ratio? I think I remember it is something like 1 person per 2 horses, or something high, really, it is because SOMEONE needs to visit the horses every 30 min, around the clock, just to shovel their manure. Because if left there, the horses will lie and roll in it, and stain their white coats, and the stains are very hard to remove. I wish I could go to the event of the year, Vienna Boys Choir and the Lipizzaners in the same performance, but I wasn't in Vienna at the time of ANY performance.

This was my first stop on my first full day in Vienna. After reading the details online, it sounded like a fantastic show to be at. Unfortunately, I was not sure about their tickets since they were so expensive so I opted to do the morning exercise. After experiencing the morning exercise routine, my only advice is: don't go to the morning exercise. However, we did end up coming back for a special show in the evening (who could resist a discount flyer?), and that was much more worthwhile. Staff: Everyone was very friendly and helpful. You aren't allowed to take pictures so staff were constantly patrolling. Of course, some people were just being blatantly obvious with their zoom lenses and flash and then tried to play it off as "I didn't take a picture!". Venue: This is a beautiful place. If you ever go, just take a moment to look at the statues and architecture of the inside. Seating is limited on the upper levels, and the standing areas have obstructed views, but if you get a spot standing by the columns it should be alright. Show: Like I said, the morning exercise isn't worth it. You watch the horses walk around, which I've seen plenty of times for free at other facilities/farms/ranches. For the amount they charge I wish there was more. Luckily, on our way out we saw that in the evening there was a special show of a tribute to Vienna and standing area tickets were 30% off. Even my inner frugal conscience approved, especially since it was only a few euros more than the morning exercise. It featured classical pieces, opera performances and of course, the horses. This was great because you had a taste of everything Vienna had to offer performance-wise. Unfortunately, this was a limited performance, so I don't know what their regular shows are like. I'd go back and see their shows, but if only tickets were discounted and weren't so expensive.

If you really dig horses check it out. If not don't put it on your list. Several other reviews capture it pretty well. Five or so horses every 30mins walk around and don't really do to much. Tip: don't arrive on time. Come for the second hour when people have started to leave and free up some seats and no lines. It's the same thing as the first hour.

You know those girls who are stupid horse obsessed? They talk about horses, they draw horses, they only read books about horses? I was that girl. I was so that girl and that was my reputation. So when my husband, sister, and I landed in Vienna Austria for the last leg of our backpacking trip, the Spanish Riding School was a must. The tours were sold out the day I stopped in, so we booked a tour the following day at 1pm. We had a pretty big group. Our tour guide spoke incredible English, however we had two incredibly rude Americans in our group who kept saying to themselves "I can't hear her" "It would be great if I could hear her" "What did she say?" They could have just shut up and tried to listen, or, and here's a monumental idea: move to the front of the group, idiots! Ok, sorry. Moving on. The tour began in the stunning Winter Riding School. The arena is breathtakingly beautiful and the floor is very well maintained. Since this was the 1pm tour, we didn't get to see the horses perform, but you take what you can get, right? We then saw the warm up paddock, and then crossed the street to the stables. They were absolutely beautiful! And we could see a few Lipizzaners poking their heads over their stall doors and eye us in the courtyard. For the safety and sanity of the horses, no pictures or touching the horses are allowed. Again, I understand that. Not everyone knows how to turn off their flash, so it's best to just ban photos, and you don't want to stress out these prize horses by having hundreds of strangers a day reaching through the bars straining to pet them. Horses do bite, and these are stallions, which tend to be more ornery than geldings. Anyways, our guide had to remind those two Americans that no pictures were allowed of the horses in the courtyard. The tour continued to the tack room where we got to see and learn about their training equipment and show equipment. A stable cat joined us and reveled in the attention. Pictures were allowed here, and the cat was happy to model. Then we got to tour the stables. This was amazing!! There were over 70 stallions at the Spanish riding school (I'll save telling you why so you have reason to go on the tour when you get there) and we got to walk amongst the stalls of these magnificent animals. There were young ones, old ones, and we got to hear all about them. I will say, since people aren't allowed to reach in and touch them, it might have made these stallions more curious about the strangers, so several of them would stand at the bars of the front of their stalls and watch us, sometimes sniffing at our hair and clothes. While I love horses, I'll admit, they aren't the most intelligent creatures. But these horses were. Training, discipline, and fine breeding has created some unusually smart horses, and their curious and bold nature as stallions remains intact. They are beautiful, their stables are an architectural work of art, and I couldn't believe I was there drinking it all in. The effect was only slightly spoiled by those same two Americans blatantly taking pictures, and acting surprised and stupid when the tour guide told them "Stop taking pictures, I'm serious." This is why nobody likes American tourists, you guys! Including my group, there were another 4 Americans who hopefully glared nastily at these two middle aged Uglies, and respectfully asked further questions into her guide, that she could see we were all just as annoyed with them as she was and laid no claim to them as representatives of our nation. These are probably the same types of people who would leave 1 star reviews here on Yelp or Trip Advisor. "We didn't get what we wanted! This sucks!" No, you get what you get and you appreciate it for what it's worth. That's the whole point of traveling. Have some freaking respect. Anyways, I loved it. I loved the tour. No regrets. It would have been nice if they could have had a live prancing demonstration each tour, because I would have enjoyed that and also would have like to watch the rider or stable grooms go through the routine of unsaddling and wiping down the horse. But, like I said, you appreciate it for what it is and I am thrilled beyond words to have been inches away from these legendary horses I read so much about as a child. Dreams do come true!

One star for the location, no stars for the rest. Do yourself a favor and take the money you are about to spend and burn it, give it to charity, or buy more cake. This is the dumbest thing I have ever seen. And I love horses. I love riding. All they did was ride in circles, and for 4 min a few tricks. 40% of the time you sit and listen to a pre recorded explanation. 40% horses going in circles, 10% some ok stuff, 10% an expensive nap. Also I was here in March, and it was freezing inside the venue. Pass on this one, and thank me later. No pictures allowed as well despite the expensive ticket price!

Disappointed. Buying the cheap tickets (almost $50 at current exchange rate)and having to stand for almost 90 minutes was not the issue, barely able to see the show due to the massive pillars you are stuck behind is. Also, I've seen the performance in Jerez, Spain and it was much better. Buy the "seats" don't expect perfect.

We did not enter the school itself and were basically there to find the Sisi Imperial apartments across on the other side of the same massive structure. From the exterior it looks really cool and impressive. I will have to return and actually experience the school at some point in the future.

Ok, this review is specifically for the 10 - 12 morning exercises that the public can pay to view. 3 stars! I mean, most of those stars go to the amazingly beautiful horses themselves. And, sure, the not-too-harsh-on-the-eyes riders who do their formal hat-tips as they enter the ring for the first time. Over the two hour session the horses change 4x, averaging 30 mins per "workout". And...that's about it. The gallery is beautiful, the animals are beautiful but...these are just their daily maintenance "calisthenics". No fancy jumps (we saw one this morning). No coordinated moves. No announcers helping guide us through any particulars. We're just watching horses and riders keep fit. A beautiful thing, sure, but hard to keep up interest over 120 minutes and, well...overpriced for what it is. It did, however, stoke the fire of interest for the *actual* show. MUST DO. Yelp note: if you want to sit in the level closest to the ring, get there early to be let in right at 10...there's only one row of seats, so those fill up near-immediately.

I was in Vienna and saw that there was an 11am performance on a Saturday, so I went there hoping for a standing room ticket. Was pleasantly surprised to find that there were a few seats still available, so I splurged. BEST €53 I EVER SPENT. My seat was so close I could see the details on the tack and the subtle facial markings on the stallions (like which ones had pink skin & which ones had black skin). Oh, AND THEY WERE DOING THE AIRS ABOVE THE GROUND NOT 20 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. Needless to say, I was blown away. Scratch that experience off my bucket list.

Expensive, but a unique experience. We went because it was probably a once in a lifetime visit to Vienna. And I enjoyed it. But there are better ways to spend your money in Vienna. The horses are magnificent. We had front tier seats, so we got to see the horses closeup. It's beautiful precision, very formal and repetitive. And maybe it'll be one of our enduring memories of Vienna. I know the cost, in relationship to what we saw, will be one of my enduring memories.

Aaah the Hofreitschule just called out to me. This great Viennese tradition, uniforms, the most beautiful horses. So I booked myself a ticket the day of, and got in line. I would definitely recommend buying in advance, and make sure you're here at 9 am, 9:15 at the latest, because suddenly you'll turn around to find a flood of people! It's the price to pay for seats, and there are no assigned places, so stand your ground. If you choose to go the the Morgenarbeit, as I did, be aware of one thing (which I wasn't, or rather chose to ignore): it won't look like the beautiful previews they display at the Hofreitschule entrance. These are performances. What you'll see are the riders teaching their horses and rehearsing moves. There is music, but there is no group work, figures etc.. It's great the first hour or so, but if, like me, you're a very casual riding/dressage enthusiast, I'm not sure it's worth it, if you don't enjoy the subtleties of the art. Sure it's fun 'cause one of the riders is cute, or this horse is the prettiest, this other one isn't in the mood, while the other one is competing for "horse of the month", but it can get terribly repetitive and random. You may want to look online and save the date of the next grand performance. The hall (arena? carousel?) is great, but not heated and the floor is covered by sand, so grab a good coat, and enter at your own risk if you're asthmatic.

A spectacular location to say the least. All in all, if you have limited time, this is a pass, but if you have time to spare, well worth a look. Despite the pomp and ceremony, if you aren't especially in the know about horses... you will leave as we did, underwhelmed. Despite the proclamations of the amazing feats of these well trained horses... all we saw were horses trotting around to different pre-recorded music, rearing back on command, and sometimes kick in mid air. Meh. Again, well versed equestrians and other horse-minded folks would well appreciate this more than we. If you do go, I strongly suggest you forgo the overpriced seats. The far cheaper standing room only tickets will do you well as there is no control or respect to seated patrons. People in the aisles are literary all around you talking, yelling and contorting themselves for a selfie literally on top of you. The ushers cared little about this nuisance, their only care to stop you from taking any pictures.

Come to this show if you want literally the biggest scam and worst tourist experience of your life. The training session was nothing but a waste of time, energy, and money. All you literally see is horses walking and trotting which I can find for free in a field in any random city in the world. This session was nothing but disappointment and several others at the training session agreed with us. Please do yourself a favor, save your money, and experience real culture of Vienna.

This is a must see if you are in Vienna; the tradition and history in the building alone is incredible and even if you are no equestrian yourself, it's easy to appreciate the mastery of the riders of the Spanish riding school. There are a couple of different options for you; you can go to the morning practice which goes from 10:00 - 12:00 Tuesday - Saturday, you can go to a stable tour which is offered at three different afternoon times, or you can go to a performance in the evening. My family and I went to the morning practice and then to a stable tour later that afternoon. I wish we had gone to the stable tour first and then after to the morning practice since understanding just what the riders (and horses) go through on a daily basis adds to the experience. I recommend going to the ticket office located in the Spanish Riding School itself - you'll get the best and most updated information. I went through another provider of tickets (to be reviewed separately) and did not have a good experience, but watching people buy the tickets at the event venue looked like a painless experience (if you don't count the crowds that were formed by 0930). Get to the venue early, have a coffee or breakfast in the collocated cafe (overpriced, but hey, what do you expect), and then at 10 before the time of the practice stand by the door facing out to the summer walking ring and your ticket will be taken and you'll go up a set of stairs to the arena. There are three separate seating areas, one for performances only (and for handicapped accessible viewing of the morning practice.) You then have the two levels immediately above the ring. Sit in the first level (the one you walk in on), and get a seat looking over the ring. The top level may look appealing but there is a ledge between you and the edge of the ring so you'll miss the mastery at work along the wall. There are four seats to a bank, nothing assigned for the practice. Don't go to the practice expecting to see the show. They are, very literally, practicing and training the horses. What you can expect is to see the beautiful horses being put through their paces and riders whose degree of mastery is second to none. The horses are beautiful, stay on that level and get all of the sights and smells. As my husband's nine year old pointed out, while holding her nose with two fingers, "who knew horses fart!" Don't also expect the building to be climate controlled. It's not. It was built in 1729 when Emperor Charles VI commissioned the architect Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach to build Winter Riding School in the Hofburg Palace; it was completed in 1735. Apparently Charles wanted a place he could ride in winter. It has huge windows since there was originally no electricity, but now three gorgeous chandeliers grace the venue. There is a ton of interesting history about the horses and the riding school itself - the Lipizzaners are gorgeous. The older horses are white and work for a long time. There are currently five males that are the "stud masters" so the horses have one of five first names and then take the names of the mother's (yes, they are all girls names but as the tour guide pointed out during the stable tour, the horses don't seem bothered by it.) The horses are all bread in Austria - while the breed is originally from Spain, they were brought to Austria in what was originally Slovakia and then moved to Austria in 2001 and now live in Piber. As with all Austrians, the horses enjoy rules on vacations and other pleasures of society. The horses have one rider for the duration of their careers. A rider can have up to eight horses. Horses specialize in various parts of the show. Two women are now apprentices to be riders. One other important note, photography is not allowed in the venue. Don't try and be sneaky, there is someone walking around telling people to stop and it clearly irks the horses. So that is a lot of history and not so much review, but make this a part of your stop in Vienna - it is well worth the price of admission. Get a mug after at the store and proclaim yourself the big horse on campus. There are current two brown horses in the stable of horses - as the guide pointed out during the tour, they are the good luck charms of the Spanish Riding School. While the other horses have to have height and disposition on their side, the brown horses just have to show up. As long as there are brown horses the legend says, the Spanish Riding School will live on.

We went today to the 10-12 practice and we were very disappointed! You think practice means practicing for the performance? No! It means you pay 14 euro to watch them exercising and warming up individually for 2 long hours only changing out horses every 30 mins. No tricks, no formation, no excitement. Just walking in circles with a few prances. Yes, beautiful horses but I don't think it's worth it for the "practice" maybe for the show.You pay and can't even take a picture inside. I say save your time and money or save up to see the performance!

We had an amazing tour here. The guide was a rider herself and knew a lot about the school. She showed us the winter riding area while giving us plenty of information about the history and the proces of becoming a rider. The tour of the stables was a lot of fun. The horses are really magnificent!

if you like horses and music this is a perfect place! the chandliers are great as well but its good for a 1/2 hour before you go to the hops burg museum

Startling experience on the phone. I was calling for a friend to ask about guided tours in English. I was told only tours in German were still available that day, so I thanked the woman I spoke with and hung up. I then called a second time to ask if it would be worth it for an English speaker to attend a tour in German; the same woman told me no, it would be boring. So I thanked her and hung up. I then had an idea - maybe they had an audio tour, or a transcript of the tour in English for visitors with hearing problems. I then called back, apologized for calling so much, and asked her about audio tours/transcripts in English. The same woman I'd spoken with on the two previous calls answered the phone, and upon hearing my questions became far more frustrated than was warranted and said something very close to "You can keep calling five more times, and I told you the last five times, there are only German tours still available and none in English." Obviously she didn't swear at me or shout, but I was absolutely shocked that somebody handling the phones for such a fantastic institution was so exasperated/rude. I just couldn't believe how dismissive this person was after I had gone so far as to apologize for calling three times (which I didn't have to; it's her job to answer the phones, and the wait time to get through to her was less than 15 seconds each time - it's not like the phone was ringing off the hook). I can sympathize to an extent though, she's probably just frustrated because she's realized she answers phones for a living (here's a link for her if she happens to read my comment: http://tinyurl.com/ogg6qrv ). (I gave them 2 stars as I haven't physically visited, so I figured I'd just go with their average)

This review is strictly for the 10-12 "morning practice". I think they lure a lot of people (including me) who expect to see a practice of the performance but no it is just 2 hours of them prancing around independently doing their exercises without even an explanation. Absolutely NOT worth your time and money. The venue and horses are beautiful so grab a regular performance if you can.