Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre

The Escola Portuguesa de Arte Equestre (Portuguese School of Equestrian Art) is Lisbon’s classical riding school, a small cousin of the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Its horses are all Lusitanos, the Portuguese breed, and they come from the Coudelaria de Alter, the royal stud farm King João V founded in 1748. The school’s own website lists more than 60 of them by name.

A morning visit comes in two parts. From 11:00 you follow a themed route round the Páteo da Nora, the stable courtyard opposite the arena, where the grooms brush, wash and tack up the horses while music plays. Children can stand close enough to watch a mane being combed out or a saddle going on. At 12:00 everyone moves across into the Picadeiro Henrique Calado, the riding hall, and sits in the stands to watch the riders warm up and train. The riders wear period costume and the horses are trained at a pace that suits each animal, with the aim of getting them ready for the school’s galas.

For a small child the best bit is often the quietest one: a big horse being groomed a few metres away. For older children and teenagers who ride, the training session is the draw, because you see the patient repetition that goes into a show.

In the galas the riders wear the school’s formal dress: a black felt tricorn hat, a long burgundy velvet coat with a black collar and gold-and-black braid, black leather gaiters, breeches, a white shirt and gloves. The horses’ manes are plaited in the Portuguese three-point braid and tied with silk ribbons, and they carry Portuguese saddles covered in soft leather.

The movements come from Baroque riding. The school practises the “ares altos”, the airs above the ground, where the horse lifts its front legs or leaps with all four off the floor, following the technique of the Vienna school. It also performs “jogos da corte”, court games and tournaments that noblemen played on festive days in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the 1700s King João V set up the Real Picaria, the royal riding academy, and it trained in the Picadeiro Real de Belém. That riding hall is now the old building of the Museu Nacional dos Coches, a few minutes’ walk away, so the two visits fit together neatly. The academy closed in the 19th century. The Ministry of Agriculture revived the tradition in 1979, first at the Sociedade Hípica Portuguesa in Campo Grande and, from 1996, in the gardens of the Palácio Nacional de Queluz, where the stables were built. Parques de Sintra took over the school in 2012, restored the Picadeiro Henrique Calado and has used it for the school’s performances since 2015. It is classed as national heritage.

On most Wednesdays the 12:00 to 13:00 slot is an exhibition instead of ordinary training, which is the cheapest way to see a short show. The school warns that on some Wednesdays only regular training takes place, so check the calendar before you pick a date.

The family gala, called Gentil: Símbolo da Arte Equestre Portuguesa, is made for families with children from six. It is named after Gentil, the Lusitano horse ridden by King José I in the bronze statue in Praça do Comércio (sculpted by Machado de Castro in 1775). The show explains the stages of Portuguese riding history in a simple way, with demonstrations in between. Your ticket includes the Páteo da Nora beforehand, where you can watch the grooms and the warm-up from 11:00. Children under six go free in the north stand.

The evening galas last about an hour and a half and recreate a court entertainment from the 18th century. You can watch the preparations in the Páteo da Nora an hour before the start. The next gala listed when we checked was on 4 December 2026. Access to the boxes and the south stand is restricted for people with limited mobility.

Manhãs da Arte Equestre (Equestrian Art Mornings) run Monday to Friday. When we checked, seats in the north and south stands cost €8 for adults aged 18 to 64, €6 for young people aged 6 to 17 and for over-65s, and €25 for a family ticket of two adults and two young people. Box seats cost €12, €10 and €39. You can buy online or on the day. Guided tours at 11:00 and 11:30 are sold on site only, in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish. The price list starts at age six, so ask about younger children when you buy.

Photos and video without flash are fine in the Páteo da Nora. In the riding hall they are not allowed at all, which is worth telling children before they get the phone out. The café and shop open from 11:00 to 13:00.

This is a seated, fairly quiet hour. A child who needs to run about may find the training session long, so the stable route and a Wednesday exhibition are the easier start. Children who are nervous of big animals can watch from the stands at a comfortable distance.

The Picadeiro is on Calçada da Ajuda, uphill from the river. Tram 15 and several buses stop nearby, and the Cascais line stops at Belém. From there it’s easy to walk down to the riverside, to Pastéis de Belém for custard tarts or to the Museu de Marinha for ships. If your child falls for the horses, the stud they come from, the Coudelaria de Alter in the Alentejo, runs guided tours where you can watch the mares go out to pasture.

Is it suitable for young children?

The mornings are open to all, but the price list starts at six and the family gala is recommended from six. Four- and five-year-olds who love horses usually enjoy the stable yard most.

How long does a visit take?

The morning programme runs from 11:00 to 13:00: an hour in the stable yard and an hour in the arena. Family galas and evening galas are separate events.

Can you take photos of the horses?

Yes in the Páteo da Nora, without flash. No photos or video are allowed inside the Picadeiro Henrique Calado.

Do you need to book?

You can buy tickets on the day, but booking online is sensible for galas. Guided tours can only be bought at the venue.

Is it the same as the Museu Nacional dos Coches?

No. The coach museum shows royal carriages and began in the old royal riding hall. The riding school, with live horses, is a short walk up the hill on Calçada da Ajuda.