Piber: Lipizzaners, Stud Farm and Climbing Park

Piber brings together the history of the Lipizzaners, a stud farm, a museum, a climbing park and the Maestoso Circular Trail. This offers a range of ways to shape your stay: you can focus on breeding history and cultural heritage, plan an activity at the climbing park or take the circular trail and consider the places it mentions. When choosing a hotel, it is helpful to first decide which of these themes you want to shape your visit.

Lipizzaners and the History of the Stud Farm

Since 1920, Piber has been the birthplace of the famous Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School. Also in 1920, the Federal Stud Farm in Piber became the successor to the old Imperial Court Stud Farm in Lipica. These two historical connections describe different aspects: Piber is associated with the Lipizzaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School, while the succession relates to the former stud farm in Lipica. This means that two distinct developments in the same year provide a context for the history.

As UNESCO national intangible cultural heritage, the Piber Lipizzaner Stud Farm preserves centuries-old knowledge about breeding and raising Lipizzaners. The Lipizzaner Stud Farm Museum provides information about the raising, lives and care of Lipizzaners at the stud farm and at the Spanish Riding School. Together, these topics take you from the historical background to the horses themselves and the knowledge involved in breeding and raising them.

Climbing Park and Maestoso Circular Trail

Piber Climbing Park has more than 60 stations. If you would like to include an activity at the climbing park alongside the cultural and historical attractions, the number of stations gives you a concrete idea of the park's size. This allows you to weigh a focus on the Lipizzaners against a different kind of activity when planning your visit.

The Maestoso Circular Trail links Köflach, Bärnbach and the Piber Lipizzaner Stud Farm in a varied tour. The route thus brings three named places together in one tour. If you plan to take this trail, check the route details before setting off.

Getting There and Planning Your Visit

The Piber Lipizzaner Stud Farm can be reached by taking S-Bahn S7 to Köflach station and then RegioBus route 702 to the Piber Schloss stop. Both parts of the public transport journey are specified: the train to Köflach and the connecting bus to Piber Schloss. As routes and timetables may change, it is advisable to check the connection before setting off.

The Piber Stud Farm is generally accessible to visitors using wheelchairs. Due to slight inclines and the hilly terrain, a visit with a companion is recommended. During a visit to the Lipizzaner Stud Farm, you can also see the stud farm courtyard and historic carriages and sleighs in the coach house. These places to visit complement the information about the Lipizzaners with insights into the stud farm courtyard and historic vehicles.

For the broader travel overview: Köflach.