Who’s gone to one of the performances there? I’ll be in Austria in early October and am trying to decide if it’s worth the $ to buy tickets for me and my non-horsey SO. I saw them when they did a tour in the US years ago.
Not Europe, but I did go to a performance in Jerez, Spain & it was soooo worth it!
It was part of a package for a riding vacation & I was lukewarm, but it brought me near tears.
You might also consider going to one of the morning Training sessions in Vienna, more interesting for you & non-horsey SO might even enjoy the behind-the-scenes stuff.
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Definitely worth seeing a performance and doing the stable tour.
LetItBe
I have read that some people prefer watching the training sessions. Have also read of someone who was stuck behind a pillar while trying to watch a performance. They weren’t a happy camper.
My in-laws went years ago and absolutely loved it.
ETA: they were completely non- horsey people and it was a hi-light of their time there.
Have a friend in Vienna right now. Just saw the Sunday performance yesterday! LOVED IT! But very, very expensive. She was literally sitting in the “Royal Box”. How cool is that. But you need to book tickets way in advance. You might be too late now for October FYI
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I’ve been there, seen the show, and done the stable tour (some of the horses were so relaxed while we were touring they were sleeping, stretched out on their sides, in their stalls). Also saw the schooling session and show when they toured the US - really enjoyed the opportunity to watch the schooling.
Absolutely worth the money to us, and I think that anyone could appreciate it. I’d say that better seats are worth the $.
Mr. IF caught the morning training session in Vienna. He loved the Hapsburg palace with all the baroque interior features. He also loved that it was a training session and the horses were less than perfect at all times. We have seen performances in the past, but not in Vienna. Whatever you can manage,to see go do it!
My cousin went probably 40 years ago. She watched the training session, did the stable tour and went to a performance. She still considers it one of the highlights of her life.
While in Vienna, I went to the training session (I could not get tickets for a performance because it was at the time of some high-level international conference) and stable tour. Even the training session was beyond magnificent. I was mesmerized. Just thinking about it even now years later gives me shivers. Truly one of the highlights of my life.
I did it about 35 years ago. Did the morning training/tour, then the evening performance with the live orchestra. Really cool! Especially to see the training, then put it together for the performance. My grandmother did all the arrangements (I was travelling with her), so I don’t know what was involved in getting the tickets. I just remember sneaking in some pictures during the performance, even though they said no cameras. (Waaaay before camera phones!)
Thanks for the feedback! There are some tickets still available for the Sunday performance that would work for my schedule. I read mixed reviews about the training sessions on TripAdvisor to get the non-horsey perspective. It seems like those could go either way to me - just like my own rides, some are more interesting to watch than others. My SO seems to think seeing a training session will be as interesting as watching me ride at home (read: slightly better than watching paint dry). I think I’ll try to get some mid-priced tickets.
Related fyi: while the main website for the Spanish Riding School is in English, you’re redirected to an all German site for actual ticket purchase, so it gets extra challenging. I fully admit that was part of why I asked if it was worth bothering with the performance :o
I took my non-horsey husband while in Vienna in 2014. It was a bucket list item for me so we were going one way or another since I didn’t know if I’d ever be back in Vienna.
My husband could take it or leave it. He put up with it for me.
I’m still glad we went but besides the airs above ground it wasn’t spectacular or anything. The facility is absolutely gorgeous though. I bought a million things at the gift shop.
I went to the morning school. It was great. A lady next to me blurted out to her husband…“Look he is skipping”… of a horse schooling tempi changes. I think the TripAdvisor comments are from the non-horsey visitor.
