Spanish Riding School

The Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule), founded in 1572, is where the gorgeous white Lippizaner stallions display their incredible talents, dancing to classical music in an opulent 18th-century ballroom, painted white and hung with crystal chandeliers. Performances take place from March through June and from September to mid-December, visit their website for exact performance times and ticket information, www.srs.at. If you are unable to see one of these performances, you can watch one of the training sessions. These take place from mid-February to June, from the end of August until mid-October, and again from mid-November to mid-December, Tuesdays through Saturdays at 10 am. (Open year-round is a small museum where you can view samples of the ornate riding costumes and a video showing the history of the riding school.)