I had looked forward to visiting the Spanish Riding School for about 50 years, so the first event I attended was the training session which was very disappointing. I then did a guided tour which very interesting and I realised that the guided tour is sufficient to see the arena and see the horses, you won't see them ridden though. In the training session you saw them ridden but it was quite boring. So I decided I wanted to go to a show, so I put in a mighty effort to get back to Vienna on a Saturday just so I could see the show. I was hoping to see some of the jumps with the riders on their backs that they are most famous for and still I did not see that. I am now unsure what you need to go and see to actually experience the horses perform in the way that the Riding School is portrayed. There were a few jumps at the show I was at, but the horses were on a long rein.

The main show of the Spanish Riding School is an incredible experience. It helps to know a little about horses and specifically about dressage. Tremendous collaboration between rider and horse, plus the team. Well worth it.

Really enjoyed the performance, thought it was well worth the money. Guided tour was interesting and also worth the money. Martin was informative and always willing to answer any questions. Would definitely recommend both

We booked well in advance and thought the 65€ a ticket would afford us a good seat. We were on the 2nd level and you could only see one side of the arena - you really needed to be at the ends to get a full view. Saying this the performers used both sides to demonstrate their skill. For a horse lover I would thoroughly recommend this. It lasted an hour and was very well done. You are not allowed to take any photos and the staff there will stop you. However if you are canny you can get the odd one or two !!

Whilst in Vienna I knew I had to see the Lipizzaner stallions at the Spanish Riding School. Had it just been hubby and myself I would have probably bought the best seats in the house, but as we were with friends we decided on the €35 standing tickets. We were not disappointed. Yes, your view is restricted at times but so are the seats you are stood behind. The only people with unrestricted view are the ones with tickets at either end. To access the auditorium you enter by the door in the wall opposite the stables. There are some quite steep steps to climb too. Once inside we headed towards the middle and took our place behind some seats. The building is fabulous, with huge chandeliers and lots of white marble. The performance itself was nice and I’m so glad I got to see the Lippizaners in Vienna. It is a classical concert though and so do not expect these horses to be doing lots of jumps and tricks. It is all about the horsemanship and the control of the horses. I really enjoyed it and so did my hubby and our friends!

I am a huge horse fan and we were considering going to a performance or training session and then I read the reviews - pretty awful. So we decide to do the guided tour instead - thought that was very interesting and learned about the horses and training. Not sure worth the cost if a non-horse person, but overall our group enjoyed it. You were able to see the horses up close in stables (but no pictures allowed in the stables but were allowed outside ) and the tack room and the riding arena.

Having read reviews, we bought the €180 tickets. Front row, amazing view. Very impressive to see horse and rider work so closely together. I really didn't know what to expect as I am not a horse lover ( see below), but I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw. Sadly, I had to leave after about 40mins as I have animal dust allergy, but wife stayed and came out beaming. Was it worth the money, probably, its your choice how you spend it.

I have wanted to see the Stallions since I was a little girl in the 70s! The arena, history and pageantry is spectacular. I don't know if times have changed but the show was heavy on the dressage (which was amazing) with very little "tricks" or jumps. Tickets were very expensive compared to other attractions but if you love horses, it is a very special experience.

I have never ridden a horse, and can just about tell one end from the other. Contrary to what some other reviewers say, I didnt need to have any prior interest in horses to enjoy this 1 hour tour of the arenas (including the main indoor grand baroque arena) and stables. Went in July when 80% of the horses are having a summer break in the country, but even then there were still plenty of horses around to look at. You won’t see any performance etc but our guides were clear, educational and entertaining. At €23 for adult ticket quite expensive but we enjoyed ourselves.

We chose to attend the shorter Lipizzaner Special performance during our quick trip to Vienna and it was the perfect amount of time. We sat in the upper gallery at the end and it was perfect for getting a great view of the horses and their riders. The horses and the show are a unique experience in a beautiful setting. This is the shorter program at about 45-50 minutes and was perfect to allow us to maximize our day.