The Spanische Hofreitschule is one of the last institutions in the world to practice classical dressage in its Renaissance form, using the white Lipizzaner stallions bred at the imperial stud at Piber. The school dates back to the 1570s and has trained horses and riders to the same exacting standards continuously ever since.
Performances take place in the Winter Riding School, a baroque hall inside the Hofburg with a ceiling of stucco angels. Tickets sell out months in advance; the cheaper option is the morning training session (Morgenarbeit), which gives a near-identical view of the choreography for a fraction of the price. Closed in August.