Berlin Zoo, considered one of the oldest menageries in Germany, is visited annually by 2.6 million people. And this is not surprising, because after visiting the ancient castles and historical museums it is so nice to walk through the shady alleys and spend time surrounded by cute fluffy, feathered and wildly interesting creations.
General information
The Berlin Zoo, located in the Tiergarten district, was opened in 1844 on the initiative of the Prussian King Frederick William IV. Occupying a truly vast area, he managed to accommodate 17 thousand animals, combined in 1,5 thousand species.
Looking at the photo of the Berlin Zoo, you can see that its territory is covered with dense vegetation, and natural reliefs and living conditions are as close as possible to natural ones. The entrance to the zoo is decorated with the majestic Elephant Gate, sculptures of elephants, on whose backs there is a Japanese-style roof. Near them, everyone can get a detailed map of the complex, which will help to make the most convenient route.
To observe the animals, transparent fences and large ditches have been created, which do not allow visitors to the zoo or its inhabitants to violate a safe distance. All enclosures in the park are designed to create the full effect of presence. Skillful decorative elements are responsible for this, which seem to hide iron barriers.
Intending to recreate the wildlife world, menagerie workers provide pets with sufficient freedom, so residents of neighboring aviaries can freely visit each other. If we talk about animals that sleep during the day and stay awake at night, a separate dark room has been created for them. Despite the twilight, you can still consider owls, bats, lemurs, koalas and owls.
No less interesting feature of the Berlin ZOO is a special children’s area. It contains the youngest of the most harmless inhabitants of the menagerie. They can not only be seen and stroked, but also fed with milk from a bottle.
Nowadays, the zoo in Berlin is among the 10 best landscape complexes in Europe. On its territory often organize holidays, promotions and children’s events. Among other things, there is a scientific department, whose employees are engaged in selective work and take part in programs for breeding and conservation of endangered species of animals.
Zoo inhabitants
The entire territory of the Berlin Zoo is divided into thematic zones intended for the maintenance of certain inhabitants.
So, to the right of the main entrance there is a zone with tigers, lions, cheetahs and other representatives of the cat family. In winter, they live in a heated pavilion, and with the onset of heat they go out into the fresh air and hide from annoying tourists among the rocks and dense thickets.
Roe deer, deer, bison, reindeer, gaura, anoa and bantengi graze in the vicinity of predators. Between them long-legged herons and white-winged cranes walk. Nearby, in a small lake, the edges of which can be touched by hand, hulking king penguins scurry back and forth and sea lions frolic.
A little further you can see the polar wolves and a huge polar bear, entertaining tourists with its crown dance.
Not far from them is a huge Aviary Aviary, among the inhabitants of which there are also such rare species of birds as the Australian Cubara and the rhinoceros.
Also in the territory of the zoological park there is a huge pool for hippos, rhinos and hippos. Through thick transparent glass, one can observe how all this heavy-weight family communicates with each other and looks after curious cubs who look at visitors with interest.
There is a spacious paddock for elephants, and an oriental palace built for giraffes and antelopes, or sheer cliffs created specifically for mountain goats.
The main pride of the Zoologischer Garten in Berlin, without exaggeration, can be called two bamboo bears brought from China. If you are at least a little interested in the natural world, then you probably heard that in 2012, the menagerie’s employees said goodbye to Bao-Bao, who died at a fairly advanced age. His place was taken by female Meng Meng and male Jiao Qing, who became the only pandas living in Germany.
For Darling and the Dreamer (their names are translated from Chinese) a whole garden was built, equipped with swings, burrows and caves, tunnels and slides. They say that the construction of this zone cost the local authorities 10 million euros. Pandas will stay at the Berlin Zoo until 2027, after which they will be returned to their homeland.
Aquarium
Another pride of the zoo in Berlin is the Zoological Oceanarium, which occupies a separate three-story building. The exposition of a huge coral reef and 250 tanks with a capacity of more than 20 thousand liters of water impress even experienced travelers.
Here you can see not only seahorses, jellyfish, turtles and exotic fish, but also reptiles, amphibians and various insects.
Well, the main and perhaps the most popular inhabitants of the Oceanarium are crocodiles, stingrays, dragons and huge sharks, located in separate pavilions and aquariums. Under natural light, reinforced with UV lamps, they all multiply well and replenish the zoo fund.
Feeding animals
Feeding animals in ZOO Berlin is on a clear schedule:
- 10:30 – seals;
- 11:00 and 16:00 – pandas;
- 11:30 – elephants;
- 11:30 and 14:00 – gorillas;
- 13:30 – wolves (except Wednesday);
- 13:30 – monkeys;
- 14:00 – penguins;
- 14:30 – hippos;
- 15:15 – sea lions (feeding + performance);
- 15:30 – Pelicans.
In addition, each zoo inhabitant has their own diet, developed by experienced veterinarians. You can get acquainted with it in special pavilions. There, behind the transparent display cases, there are products included in the daily menu of each “local resident”. In this regard, visitors to the zoo are forbidden to give animals the food that they brought with them.
But in good weather, everyone can watch the delivery of dishes, and in some cases also become direct participants in this process. To this end, the Berlin Zoo even equipped a special area where sheep and goats can be fed directly from the hands. The payment for such entertainment is symbolic, and there are more than enough for those who wish. True, for starters you will have to buy special food – it is sold here in vending machines.
Practical information
The Berlin Zoo, located at Hardenbergplatz 8, 10787 Berlin, Germany, receives visitors 365 days a year. Opening hours depend on the season:
- 01.01 – 24.02 – from 9 a.m. to half-past 4 p.m .;
- 02.25 – 03.31 – from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m .;
- April 4 – September 29 – from 9 a.m. to half-past 7 p.m .;
- September 30 – October 27 – from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m .;
- 28.10 – 31.12 – from 9 a.m. to half-past 5 p.m.
- 12.24 – from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ticket offices stop working in an hour, and animals at home – 30 minutes before the closing of the zoo.
Cost of visit:
| Visitors Category Ticket Type |
Adults | Children (4 – 15 years old) | Small family (1 adult and children 4 – 15 years old) | Large family (2 parents and children 4 – 15 years old) | At a discount (students, pupils, disabled people, owners of Berlinpass). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-time at the Zoo | 15,50 € | 8,00 € | 26,00 € | 41,00 € | 10.50 € |
| One-time at the Zoo and Aquarium | 21,00 € | 10.50 € | 35,00 € | 51,00 € | 15,50 € |
| Annual at the Zoo | 55,00 € | 29,00 € | 39,00 € | 111,00 € | 155,00 € |
| Annual at the Zoo and Aquarium | 77,00 € | 66,00 € | 99,00 € | 44,00 € | 66,00 € |
You can visit the zoo in Berlin as part of a group of 20 or more people. In this case, the prices will be as follows:
| Visitors Category | Zoo | Zoo + Aquarium |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | 14.50 € (per visitor) |
19,00 € (per visitor) |
| Children | 7,00 €
(from visitor) |
9,00 € (per visitor) |
To find out how much a ticket to the Berlin Zoo costs, go to the official website – www.zoo-berlin.de/en.
Representatives of the preferential category must have an appropriate certificate with them. At the same time, people with severe disabilities (B) are entitled to free accompaniment by 1 person. As for family tickets, there is one important condition – all children must have the same registration as their parents. This means that going to the zoo with a family ticket together with the child of your relatives or acquaintances will fail.
Tickets can be purchased both at the box office located on the territory of the complex, and via the Internet using MasterCard and Visa bank cards. It is noteworthy that tickets purchased online remain valid for 2 years after the transaction.
Rates and schedules on the page are for July 2019.
How to get there
Berlin ZOO has 2 entrances. One of them is located on 32 Budapester Strasse Street. You can get here by two modes of transport:
- Bus number 200 – to the stop. Budapester Str .;
- Metro lines U1, U2, U3 – to the station. Wittenbergplatz. When leaving the subway, turn right and walk about 300 m along Ansbacher Strasse. At the intersection with Kurfürstenstraße, turn left and after another 100 m, turn right at Budapester Strasse.
As for the second gate, they are located Hardenbergplatz 8 near the central railway station. Many bus and train routes intersect in this area, so it’s easy to get from here to the famous sights of Berlin. To do this, you can use one of the following methods.
- Metro: U-9, U-12 and U-2 to the Zoologischer Garden station or U-1 and U-9 – to the station Kurfürstendamm;
- Bus No. 100, 45, 9, 249, 10, 109, 245, 46, 110, 34, 204, 49, 200 – to the stop. Zoologische Garten;
- Train: S5, S9, S7 and S75 to the Zoologischer Garten station;
- Regional trains: RE1, 7, 2 and RB 22, 14 and 21 to st. Zoologische Garten.
In addition, famous taxi services such as Gett and Uber operate in Berlin.
Useful Tips
When deciding to visit the Berlin Zoo in Berlin, take note of a few helpful tips:
- Would you like to save? Buy a comprehensive ticket that applies to both the zoo and the aquarium. It will be cheaper;
- An alternative to the previous option will be the Berlin WelcomeCard tourist card, whose validity period is from 48 hours to 6 days. You can buy it at kiosks or special machines installed in the subway. Holders of this card receive the right not only to free travel on all types of municipal transport, but also to provide significant discounts when visiting the Berlin Zoo;
- It’s better to come to Zoologischer Garten in the morning. Firstly, at this time there are not many people here, and secondly, in the afternoon most animals go on vacation;
- On the territory of Zoologischer Garten in Berlin there are paid toilets, kiosks with ice cream, cafes and restaurants, sightseeing pavilions, a children’s playground with an obstacle course and a relaxation and meditation area;
- Currently, zones with predators are under reconstruction, which will last until 2020. If you eat in the zoo only for their sake, postpone your visit until the completion of repair work;
- You can explore local beauty not only on foot, but also on a bicycle. A rental point is located near the entrance to the zoo;
- The parking here is paid, and there are sorely lacking free spaces on it. Tourists who come to the menagerie on their own or rented vehicles can use the free parking on the street. Klopstockstraße. From there to the destination about 10 minutes on foot;
- Despite the fact that the zoo is open all year, one of the most inappropriate seasons for a trip to Berlin ZOO is winter. Many inhabitants of the menagerie either hibernate or move into aviaries that are not able to accommodate everyone;
- It is worth taking a day to visit the zoo in Berlin. If you do not have a lot of free time, set aside at least 3-4 hours to explore this important city attraction;
- To avoid the queue at the box office, which in the high tourist season can drag on for 40-60 minutes, buy tickets online;
- At the end of the walk, take a look at one of the souvenir shops located at the entrance of Leventor and at the Elephant Gate. There you can buy figurines, toys, books and magnets with the image of animals.
Berlin Zoo is one of the main attractions of the German capital. It is definitely worth a visit if you are interested not only in architecture and the famous German beer with sausages.
Video about animals of the Berlin Zoo.
