Castles - Piber Castle - Castle Road - Steiermark, Burgenland, Austria

Piber Castle

Home of great horses.

Piber Lipizzan Stud Farm

In the rolling hills of western Styria lies the idyllic village of Piber. Even as you approach, you can make out the impressive baroque Piber Castle from a distance. Surrounded by lush meadows and green forests, the home of Europe's oldest breed of cultured horses, the Lipizzaner, opens up against a dreamlike backdrop. In the Lipizzaner stud Piber not only the preservation of the oldest culture horse breed in Europe is secured but also the offspring for the world famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna. In the nursery of the Lipizzaner horses of the Spanish Riding School, there is a lot to experience, from guided tours of the stud to blacksmithing, public riding training, and carriage racing to foal experiences. A café-restaurant and children's playground are also available.

Opening hours (April 1 to October 31, 2023)

For opening hours in the low season, please visit the website www.piber.com.

Stud farm and store

daily - 09:30 to 17:00 (stable rest 12:00 - 13:00)

Guided tours of the stud (duration approx. 1 hour):

daily - 9:45 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m.

For admission prices and daily program, please see our website: www.piber.com

Further offers:

- Foal experience days in spring

- carriage rides

- carriage driving school

- Horses for sale

- Foal sponsorships

- Club of friends

- Souvenir shop

- Children's birthday parties

- Renting of the state rooms for festive occasions and seminars

Further experiences and information can be found here: Piber: Experiences & Events

Successful Lipizzaner breed at Gestüt Piber

For more than 100 years, Lipizzaner stallions - the stars of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna - have been bred at the Lipizzaner Stud Piber. They are born here and spend their childhood in the wonderful surroundings of the stud. The heart of the Lipizzaner Stud Piber are therefore the mother mares with their foals, which are born with black, brown or mouse-grey coats. They are also the absolute darlings of the public. Every year, around 40 foals see the light of day in spring. In addition to the knowledge of classical horsemanship and the High School of the Spanish Riding School, the knowledge of Lipizzaner breeding was also included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2022.

Already around 1100 the place is mentioned for the first time and was until 1796 a domain of the monastery St. Lambrecht located in Upper Styria. It was the abbots of this venerable Benedictine monastery who had the magnificent early Baroque Piber Castle built with its arcaded courtyard reminiscent of Italian Tuscany.

Emperor Josef II decreed the transfer of the domain into state ownership during the temporary secularization of St. Lambrecht Abbey in 1796. Two years later, in 1798, its use as a state stud farm was determined. In 1920, the valuable Lipizzaner herd of the old imperial court stud, which remained in Austria after World War I, was transferred to Piber. The Lipizzaner breeding in Piber is based on the descendants of the former imperial court stud Lipica and still pursues the all breeding goal - to breed the best Lipizzaner stallions, which come to Vienna to the Spanish Riding School for training.

Not only for horse lovers

The "imperial white horses" can be admired in all their facets during tours of the studs, carriage rides or during summer holidays on the alpine pastures. In the show smithy you can look over the shoulder of our blacksmith and in the museum you can learn everything about the history of our Lipizzaners. For children, the children's adventure trail and the adventure playground are a great attraction. Also experience our foals, which spend their first months at their mothers' side. Let us teach you the knowledge about the white horses in an entertaining way.

Café Restaurant Piber

Daily from 9:00 - 20:00

Hot meals 11:00 - 18:00 hrs

Ice cream specialties, menus for bus groups, sun terrace

Reservations under +43 3144 3323-170

Contact & Info

Spanish Riding School- Piber Lipizzan Stud Farm GöR

A-8580 Köflach, Piber 1

Phone: +43 3144 3323-105

office@piber.com
www.piber.com

Map

Piber Castle (Styria)