Discover Germany | Travel | Spanische Hofreitschule
TEXT: CORNELIA BRELOWSKI
Spanish Riding School, Vienna. Photo: © Stefan Seelig
Glorious events and in-depth insights The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is a 453-year-old institution. It has survived several wars, including the two World Wars, and the change from monarchy to republic. TEXT: CORNELIA BRELOWSKI
Rich in tradition and full of expertise, the performances and tours, as well as the morning exercise featuring the trademark Lipizzan horses, are a magnet for international riding enthusiasts and aesthetes alike. “It is the combination of architecture, music and the art of riding that is so fascinating for the audience from all over the world,” general director Elisabeth Gürtler explains. Two major events at the SRS will draw the crowds this summer: The Fête Impériale on 29 June and the ‘Piber Meets Vienna’ programme starting on 3 July. The Fête Impériale is an inspiring event which will take place for the ninth time this year. In Imperial times, Empress 50 | Issue 62 | May 2018
Maria Theresia was known for her ‘Lady Carousels’ in the renowned Winter Riding School, built by Baroque architect Emanuel Fischer von Erlach in 1735. This traditional ball was reintroduced in 2010 and since then has become an annual celebration: Each year, around 2,500 guests enjoy conversing and dancing on the SRS premises at the oldest and most beautiful summer ball of Vienna, celebrated openair in the Summer Riding School, on the galleries of the Winter Riding School, and at the ‘Stallburg’ courtyard. With the summer programme, ‘Piber Meets Vienna’, taking place during the school stallions’ well-earned summer break, visitors learn about everyday life at a stud farm. The origins of the Lipiz-
zan horses date back to 1580. Interested guests will gain insights into the breeding, rearing and dressage of the white stars at the Piber stud, as well as a chance to admire the lovely mares and their foals at the Fischer von Erlach riding arena. “We strive to maintain our high standards and hope to draw people as yet unfamiliar with the traditions of the Spanish Riding School, with new ideas,” Elisabeth Gürtler explains, “and we are looking forward to inviting our guests to once more indulge in the glories of the Austrian imperial period at the Fête Impériale!”
Piber Meets Vienna. Photo: © RGE-Media