The Lipizzaner museum

Within the stables complex (German: Stallburg) of the Spanish Riding School you’ll find a small museum dedicated to the history and heritage of the school’s horses - the Lipizzaners.

The entrance and gift shop is in the former Imperial and Royal Court Pharmacy. You can see the original draws labelled with exotic herbs around the sides of the room. The shop sells CDs, DVDs, books, toys, shirts, caps, prints and various other Lipizzaner paraphernalia.

Outside view of the Lipizzaner Museum
The Lipizzaner Museum. © Mark Brownlow
The museum itself is relatively small - just a handful of vaulted rooms which take you through the history of the breed, the stud and stable facilities and the art of riding, before giving some detail of the modern-day life of a Lipizzaner and the performances they give.

So you’ll see paintings, photos and videos, and equipment such as old bridles and harnesses. What’s especially nice is that all the information displays include a full English translation - a rarity in Vienna.

I would recommend a visit if you’re going to watch the horses perform or train. The museum gives you an awareness of the cultural and historical context of what you’ll see, as well as an understanding of what it is the horses are actually doing. Otherwise, though, it’s really only for Lipizzaner fans.

Some highlights:

  • Slow-motion video presentations of some of the moves done by the horses
  • A livecam giving you a real-time look into the Lipizzaner’s stables
  • A huge wall chart with the genealogy of one of the school’s stallions - impressive!
Related articles:
The Spanish Riding School
The Lipizzaner breed
History of the Spanish Riding School
Life of a Lipizzaner Stallion
Tip: When I visited, the museum had free money-saving coupons you can redeem at the Spanish Riding School cafe.

The museum is very central, just to the side of the square that joins the main shopping area in the city center with the Hofburg Palace, and within a few minutes walking distance of various public transport lines:

Subway:
U1: Station Karlsplatz or Stephansplatz
U2: Station Karlsplatz or Volkstheater
U3: Station Herrengasse or Stephansplatz
U4: Station Karlsplatz

Tram:
63 or 65 to Karlsplatz
D, J, 1 or 2 to any stop between Karlsplatz and Dr. Karl Renner Ring

Bus:
2A to Michaelerplatz
3A to Habsburgergasse

Address: Lipizzaner Museum, Reitschulgasse 2, 1010 Vienna
Website: http://www.lipizzaner.at/ (includes a full English version)

Location map for the Lipizzaner Museum

This entry is filed under Museums, Spanish riding school.