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  • The interior of the famous Spanish Riding School riding hall
    Provided by: Alexanderstock23/shutterstock

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Europe Austria Vienna Do & See Spanish Riding School

Spanish Riding School

The guide was updated:
Founded in 1572, the Spanish Riding School has put on performances in the Baroque Winter Riding School since 1735. These shows represent the highest form of equestrian art: the Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world in which the classic equestrian art has been preserved and practised unchanged since the Renaissance. At the gala shows, visitors can enjoy unique presentations by the Lipizzaner horses in the most beautiful riding hall in the world. The morning session offers an insight into the years of training that the riders and their Lipizzaners go through.

Useful Information

  • Address: Michaelerplatz 1, District 1, Vienna
  • Opening hours: Most days 9am–4pm, though the schedule changes every month
  • Website: www.srs.at/en
  • Public Transport: Underground: U1 (Karlsplatz or Stephansplatz), U2, U4 (Karlsplatz), U3 (Herrengasse); Bus: 2A and 3A (Michaelerplatz); Tram: 1, 2, D (Kärntner Ring, Oper or Burgring), 62 (Kärntner Ring)
  • Phone: +43 1 533 90 31
  • Email: office@srs.at

Digital Travel Guide Download

Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.​

*this will be downloaded as a PDF.

Price

€4,95

Purchase
St Stephen’s Cathedral

St Stephen’s Cathedral

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With its magnificent gardens, this former residence of Prince Eugen von Savoyen is one of the most beautiful Baroque ensembles in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Upper Belvedere houses the world’s largest collection of paintings by Gustav Klimt, including the Art Nouveau icons The Kiss and Judith. It also contains masterpieces by Schiele, Kokoschka, Waldmüller, Renoir, Monet and Van Gogh as well as important collections of works from the 19th and 20th centuries, the Baroque and the Middle Ages. Top-quality special exhibitions are put on in the Lower Belvedere and Orangery. The exquisite Baroque garden between the two palaces offers an extraordinary view of Vienna.
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Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn Palace

A visit to Vienna’s most famous palace is a must for art lovers. The Baroque building structures have been preserved with “Viennese Charm" and host the 1,441 rooms that were once inhabited by the imperial family. You can still admire 40 of them on the guided tours today. Explore the architectural treasures of the Palace Gardens, such as the Palm House and the oldest zoo in the world, built in 1752 by Emperor Franz I. Naturally, the gardens are best visited in the warmer months.
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Christmas Markets in Vienna

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From mid-November until Christmas, a number of Markets in the city of Vienna spread Christmas cheer. Mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, music and handcrafted goods sold at the little stalls create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, despite the at times cold Austrian winters. Some of the most exciting Christmas Markets include the Viennese Dream Christmas Market in front of the City Hall, the Christmas Village at Belvedere Palace (Prinz-Eugene Straße) and the Christmas and New Year's Market at Schönbrunn Palace; there are many other smaller markets with similar charm.
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St Charles Church

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A striking sacred building with a large cupola and two giant twin columns standing at its sides, this church is the last great work of Baroque city architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. Karlskirche is a European Baroque masterpiece, with symbolic design and use of classical architectural elements. Take the elevator to the dome for a close-up of the fresco-decorated interiors. Karlskirche frequently hosts classical music concerts, Vivaldi and Mozart in particular. The acoustics of this Baroque church are something you simply must experience.
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Spanish Riding School

Spanish Riding School

Founded in 1572, the Spanish Riding School has put on performances in the Baroque Winter Riding School since 1735. These shows represent the highest form of equestrian art: the Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world in which the classic equestrian art has been preserved and practised unchanged since the Renaissance. At the gala shows, visitors can enjoy unique presentations by the Lipizzaner horses in the most beautiful riding hall in the world. The morning session offers an insight into the years of training that the riders and their Lipizzaners go through.
Read more
Leopold Museum

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Albertina, Habsburg’s enormous collection of graphic arts, houses works by Dürer and Rubens along with masterpieces by Schiele, Cézanne, Klimt, Kokoschka, Picasso and Rauschenberg. The show “Masterworks of Modernism: The Batliner Collection” illustrates the progression from Monet and Picasso to Gerhard Richter and Georg Baselitz and presents highlights from the last 130 years of art history. Albertina also has a collection of architectural works and photos (including Helmut Newton and Lisette Model among others), which are on display in special exhibitions.
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MAK — Austrian Museum of Applied Arts

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Central Cemetery

Central Cemetery

The second largest cemetery in Europe is home to graves of numerous celebrated personas, including composers Beethoven, Strauss, Mozart and Salieri. The multidenominational cemetery represents a unique park landscape, hosting a Funeral Museum, monumental tombs of honour and an Art Nouveau cemetery church Lueger Kirche. More than 250 original objects and photographic material are on display in the Funeral Museum, including an original "Fourgon" (coach for transporting bodies) from around the year 1900. Don't miss this macabre journey into the ceremonial past.
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Vienna Boys' Choir

Vienna Boys' Choir

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Wien Museum

Wien Museum

This museum presents Vienna’s 2000-year history, from the Imperium Romanum to the residence of the Dukes of Babenberg and the 640 years of Habsburg rule to the present days. The history of the construction of St Stephen's Cathedral, detailed city views and furniture from the Biedermeier era as well as magnificent paintings from artists such as Makart, Klimt and Schiele are on display to illustrate Vienna’s cultural heritage. The Wien Museum also has an exceptional Klimt collection that includes the world’s largest collection of his drawings, comprising absolute masterpieces, sketches and preliminary outlines dating from all stages of his creative life.
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