Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
formance of the prancing stallions. No matter when you come, the tour is a must to really
understand the horses. Whether you view a training session or a performance depends on
the day of the week; plan your day carefully to ensure that you get to see one or the other.
Notethatinsummer,Mondayistheonlydayyoucan'tseethehorsestrainingorperforming
(but the tour still runs).
Cost: Stud farm tour only-€12, tour plus training session-€14, tour plus performance-
€19.
Information: Tel. 05/739-1580, www.lipica.org .
Tours: The essential 50-minute guided tour gives you a firm background to help you
understand just how special these beasts are. You'll learn about the breed's history, walk
through some of the gelding and mare stables, enjoy a brief guided tour of the museum (de-
scribed below), and then—as a grand finale—see the very best stallions, who live in luxuri-
ous, spacious stables. English tour schedule: July-Aug daily on the hour 9:00-18:00 except
12:00; April-June and Sept-Oct daily on the hour 9:00-17:00 except 12:00 (also at 18:00
Sat-Sun); March daily on the hour 10:00-15:00 except 12:00 (also at 16:00 Sat-Sun); Nov-
Feb daily at 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00. Note that on days when there's a performance
(see later), the 15:00 tour is canceled.
Training Sessions: On most days, these provide your best chance to see the horses in
action (April-Oct Tue-Sun 10:00-10:45 and 11:00-11:45; none Mon or Nov-March). Time
your visit to do the training session and tour back-to-back; note that there's no tour at 12:00
(soifyoudothe11:00trainingsession,you'llhavetowaitanhourforthe13:00tour).These
are not performances—they are true training sessions, with young, gray-mottled stallions
(and red-shirted jockeys) mixing in with more mature, pure-white stallions, whose jockeys
wear black vests. While you likely won't see a complete routine, the sessions are narrated
in English by an expert, so they're more educational than performances. For maximum in-
formation, get close to the expert and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Performances: The choreographed performances take place only three afternoons a
weekinhighseason(May-SeptTue,Fri,andSunat15:00;AprilandOctSunonlyat15:00;
none Nov-March), but if you're nearby on one of those days, they're worth planning your
dayaround.Aswiththetrainingsessions,it'ssmarttoprecedeaperformancewiththe14:00
tour, which gives you background information to better appreciate the horses' moves.
Lipikum Museum: Included in your tour ticket (or €7 on its own) is this small, state-
of-the-art museum. Succinct, insightful, and all in English, the museum uses informative
panels, video screens, and interactive components to illustrate all aspects of the Lipizzaner.
Noticethat—likethehorsesthemselves—themuseumroomsbeginblack,thenaregray,and
end white as you proceed through the exhibit. A Lipizzaner skeleton shows anatomy, and
18th-century paintings illustrate how the breed used to vary in color (until a mutation crept
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