Description of the attraction
The Lipizzan Horse Museum is housed in the palace stables at the famous Hofburg Castle in Vienna. This amazing museum is dedicated to the history of the breeding of Lipizzan horses, the beloved animals of the Austrian imperial court.
The Lipizian horse breed was bred in the 16th-17th centuries in the small Slovenian village of Lipica, after which the breed got its name. Horses of this breed are distinguished by a massive body and high growth - the height at the withers of draft horses exceeds 160 centimeters. It was these horses that were used in the Spanish court riding school, considered the oldest of its kind - it was opened in 1572, if not even earlier. The main goal of this school is to teach classical dressage and improve the athleticism of the horse itself.
Interestingly, Lipizzan horses can be of any color, but the Austrian royal family preferred gray horses, the number of which is now significantly prevalent. At the same time, from the very opening of the Spanish Riding School, there was a tradition that is still valid today - to have at least one dark-colored stallion.
The museum itself, which tells the whole story of the Lipizzan horses, but in a more visual way, is located in an old stables building, built in the Renaissance. Here you can see a variety of historical objects dating back to the beginning of the existence of the riding school, for example, the old harness and uniforms of the ministers of this school. The museum also displays several drawings of horses and more modern documents, postcards and photographs. A separate gallery is dedicated to the activities of the Spanish Riding School today. It is especially interesting to visit the interactive hall with a screen, where video clips of circus performances and solemn trips of Lipizzan horses are shown.
