The Lipica Stud Farm is the cradle of all Lipizzaner horses in the world. It’s one of the most beautiful cultural and historical monuments in Slovenia, with the history reaching back to the year of 1580. It is about an hour and 20 minutes drive away from the Bled area, so horse lovers can easily make a day trip to Lipica and see the stud farm. Guided tours are available in Slovenian and English language. Upon prior request (at least 3 days before), they offer a guided tour also in German, Italian and French language. The tour provides a good overview of the history and walks you through both the older and newer buildings that make up the farm with a chance to visit with both the stallions and the mares with their foals. It is also lovely to see the horses and riders during a training session. It’s a horse lovers dream day out but you do not have to be a horse lover to savor this experience.
Guided tours are available:
January, February, March, November, December: 10:00, 11:30, 13:30, 15:00
April, May, June, July, August, September, October: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00
Duration of the guided tour is 50 minutes.
Price of the guided tour: adults €12, students €9, children 5-15 years €6, children up to 5 years €1.
Lipica Stud Farm, the original home of the Lipizzaner. (photo: Urban Urbanc / slovenia.info)
There are more than 100 horses in training on the Lipica Stud Farm. Besides the many riders, the staff includes the stall cleaners who make their rounds and two men assigned each morning to removing the daily stains that you can imagine tarnish the many white coats. (photo: Urban Urbanc / slovenia.info)
There is a historic stable called Velbanca, which means ‘vaulted’ and appropriately describes the structure’s extravagant vaulted ceilings that houses some performance horses. (photo: Boris Pretnar / slovenia.info)
The Velbanca stable was built in 1703 as is inscribed on a plaque found above the entrance. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
Once you arrive at the center of the Lipica Stud Farm, you see many lovely yellow buildings. All are historically styled, and the setting is picturesque. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
As you enter the Lipica Stud Farm, you are first welcomed by the border of white fences lining the nearly endless fields and accented with rows of huge trees. (photo: Urban Urbanc / slovenia.info)
The area is as lush and fragrant as a deep forest. (photo: Urban Urbanc / slovenia.info)
The mares and foals are often out in the pastures, but they have a large barn for the colder winter months. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
The farm is home to about 400 Lipizzan horses. (photo: Nea Culpa d.o.o. / slovenia.info)
Lipizzaners are famous because they are the only horses used in the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria. (photo: Boris Pretnar / slovenia.info)
The Lipizzaner breed was developed from selective breeding of Iberian, Italian and Arabian horses between the 16th and 18th centuries. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
Horses of the Lipizzaner breed are born dark and turn gray as they age. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
Lipica Stud Farm is dedicated to breeding, raising and training the Lipizzaner horses, caring for the property and maintaining the original Lipizzaner Stud Book. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
Lipizzaner horses are known for their intelligence, strength and long lives. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
Lipica Stud Farm breeds its own horses to carry on the original Lipizzaner bloodlines. Although there are many stallions on the farm, a specialized commission chooses stallions to breed each year. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
The land for the Lipica Stud Farm was purchased in the 16th century by the Habsburg Archduke Charles II as a breeding ground for military and civil horses. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
Lipica was named after the beautiful tree that grows in the area: the linden. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
The stud farm boasts over 400 Lipizzaner horses. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
In 1996, the government of Slovenia passed an act to protect the Lipica Stud Farm and the horses. The herd, the land, the historical buildings and arts are all declared a national monument and their cultural significance is protected by the state. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
During the tourist season, which runs from the beginning of April to the end of October the farm offers carriage rides, trail rides and even lessons on Lipizzaner horses. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
Lipizzaner horses tend to have huge and liquid black eyes, small and expressive ears, cresty necks with long manes and a slightly convex shape to the face. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
The riders in Lipica sometimes collaborate with other riding schools in Europe for grander exhibitions and to develop a shared knowledge of the modern training of these traditional steeds. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
The Lipizzaner horses are gracious and elegant. (photo: Dean Dubokovic / slovenia.info)
The farm has a standard-sized show arena set up for public presentations of the Lipizzaner horses. (photo: Urban Urbanc / slovenia.info)
Lipica Stud Farm presents a show three times a week during the tourist season, which runs from April to October. (photo: Urban Urbanc / slovenia.info)
The Lipizzaner Stud Book has been recorded since 1810 and shows the oldest entry of a mare born in 1738. The breed has six classical stallion lines, each with its own distinguishing features that are still active today. (photo: Urban Urbanc / slovenia.info)
Lipizzaners are handsome in an old-fashioned way. (photo: Darinka Mladenovic / slovenia.info)
More info about the Lipica Stud Farm: Lipica Stud Farm Review
More Lipica Stud Farm photos: 10 Beautiful Photos To Inspire You to Visit the Lipica Stud Farm
Location:
Lipica Stud Farm Address: Lipica 5, 6210 Sezana, Slovenia
Lipica Stud Farm Latitude and Longitude Coordinates: 45.66737, 13.88005
Lipica Stud Farm GPS coordinates: 45° 40′ 2.5644” N 13° 52′ 48.1872” E
Traditional region: Litoral (Slovene: Primorska)
Municipality: Sezana
Directions from Apartments Fine Stay to the Lipica Stud Farm (drive 137 km, 1 hour 20 minutes)
Directions from Apartments Fine Stay Bled to the Lipica Stud Farm (drive 135 km, 1 hour 19 minutes)
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I cannot describe how amazing the Stud Farm is. We enjoyed seeing the mares with their colts and touring the beautiful stables where the stallions are kept. There is also a nice little museum and a lovely chapel that are part of the tour. Everybody made us feel very welcome and were very friendly.