Slovenia: Lipica Stud Farm

The Lipica Stud Farm is the oldest stud farm in the world, established in 1580 by Archduke Charles II of the Habsburgs. It is the birthplace of the Lipizzaner horse, a breed famous for its elegance, strength, and intelligence, and developed through selective breeding of Spanish, Italian, Arabian, and local horses. The farm spans over 300 hectares and is home to around 350–400 horses. Lipizzaners are known for their white coats (though they are born dark and turn gray with age) and classical riding competition performances. You get to walk around the stables and get very close and personal to the horses – we probably saw around 40 of them all in all.