Fiaker Stable Visit and Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride Vienna

The Fiaker horse stable in Simmering

The tour begins far from the postcard squares, at a Fiaker stable on Rappachgasse in Simmering, Vienna's 11th district. This is where a traditional family business keeps its horses and carriages, and where the working day starts long before the first passengers climb aboard in the old town. Your guide leads you through the barn for about 30 minutes: the stalls, the feed, the harness room and the black lacquered carriages that are cleaned and checked every morning.

This part answers the questions most people have when they see a Fiaker in the city: where do the horses live, how many hours do they work, who looks after them and where do they go in the evening? You also learn how a coachman trains for the job and why the trade is still passed down within families. Wear closed shoes, as you are walking through a working stable.

The Fiaker tradition of Vienna

A Fiaker is both the two-horse carriage and the coachman who drives it. The name comes from Paris, where hired coaches once waited outside a house dedicated to Saint Fiacre, and the first Viennese licences followed in the late 17th century. Before trams and taxis, these 'Lohnkutschen' were the normal way to cross the city, and in the 19th century the coachmen in bowler hats became a symbol of Vienna in songs and paintings.

Today the Fiakers are among the most photographed sights of the city, waiting at their stands on Stephansplatz, Michaelerplatz and Heldenplatz. A Fiaker ride in Vienna is usually a short loop through the old town; on this tour you see the whole story, from the stable to the street, which is why it is often called the most authentic horse-drawn carriage ride in Vienna.

By carriage through St. Marx and along the Ringstrasse

After the stable visit you take your seat in an original Viennese carriage and ride for about an hour towards the centre. The route passes through St. Marx, once the site of the city's great cattle market and today an up-and-coming quarter of event halls, offices and new housing, before reaching the grand boulevard that encircles the old town.

The Ringstrasse was laid out from the 1860s on the line of the demolished city walls, and the carriage follows part of it past monumental buildings, parks and palaces. Seen at the slow pace of a horse, with the sound of hooves on the road, the boulevard feels very different from a tram window. It is a relaxed way to see some of the most famous sights of Vienna in one ride, and children love being so close to the horses.

Michaelerplatz and the old town

With the shorter option, the carriage drops you at Michaelerplatz (or near Stephansplatz), right in the heart of the old town. Michaelerplatz is the round square in front of the curved Michaelertor wing of the Hofburg, the former imperial palace, with St. Michael's Church on one side and the elegant shopping street Kohlmarkt leading away towards the Graben.

It is the perfect starting point for the rest of your day: the Hofburg courtyards, the Spanish Riding School stables, St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Albertina are all within a few minutes on foot. Since the tour ends mid-morning, you can continue straight on to a museum or palace while the city is still quiet.

Viennese breakfast on Schwarzenbergplatz

With the default option the ride ends at a café on Schwarzenbergplatz, the broad square at the start of the Ringstrasse's southern section, known for its tall fountain that is lit up in colour in the evening. Here you sit down for breakfast and choose one of five set breakfasts on the spot, each with a hot drink of your choice.

The choices follow Viennese café tradition: a small goulash with fresh pastries, a hearty plate with pastries, ham, bacon, cheese, butter and orange juice, lighter options with croissants, butter, jam and orange juice, or Viennese sausages with mustard and bread rolls. It is a comfortable end to an early start, and from the square it is a short walk to the Karlskirche, the Belvedere or the State Opera.