The Berlin Zoo is the largest Tierpark in the German capital and the oldest in Germany. Mit seiner riesigen Fläche und Tausenden von Tieren aller Arten zieht er jedes Jahr mehrere Millionen Berliner und internationale Besucher an.
Berlin Zoo Is Well Worth a Visit.
When the King of Prussia opened Peacock Island to the public in the 1820s, he had no idea it would soon lose its tranquil setting. Every week, several hundred people visited this little island paradise, which Queen Louise had had carefully landscaped. It's true that the opening of a river link facilitated and maintained these ever-increasing flows.
Beneath its classical exterior, Peacock Island was brimming with exotic curiosities. After 1815, inspired by the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, Frederick William III had a botanical park and menagerie built there for his personal use. The monarch's orientalist leanings led him to acquire animals that were fantastic for the time: monkeys, lions, llamas and kangaroos. When the public finally had access to them, the craze was immediate.
To restore calm to his home, Frederick William IV, the new King of Prussia, donated his menagerie to the future Berlin Zoo, which was inaugurated in 1844. The undertaking was a popular success, and led to several successive expansions. Completely destroyed during the Second World War, the Berlin Zoo was rebuilt along both traditional and modern lines. Then as now, it remains a must-see attraction for families and friends alike.
An Enchanting, Intimate Animal Park
Berlin Zoo is a place of superlatives. Its immense surface area gives you the feeling of wandering through a world apart. A full visit takes a lot of time, and four hours is a minimum. The magnificent setting also contributes to the sense of immersion. The clean, green alleys form an almost moving maze, with occasional hidden passages. The architecturally diverse buildings are charming: a pagoda for rhinos, an Asian temple for pandas, a ranch for bison, and so many other surprises. It all sounds fake, but within this beautiful illusion, there's a pleasant sense of adventure and exploration.
The site is perfectly laid out: beautiful, diverse and practical. Even at the height of the tourist season, the flow of visitors is regulated by dispersal, and it's not uncommon to cross an entire area of Berlin Zoo without encountering a single person. This makes the experience all the more pleasant and enjoyable. This also makes it easier to observe the animals. In addition to the outdoor enclosures, there are built complexes for observing monkeys, felines and birds. We sometimes regret the lack of information on the origins and behavior of the various species. However, the visuals speak for themselves.
Along the way, visitors also have the chance to watch a show at the sea lion tank, or the feeding of monkeys or wildcats. A visit to the small animal park will delight the youngest visitors, who will be able to approach and, why not, feed the farm animals. For short breaks, the zoo offers numerous places to eat and relax, as well as excellent play areas for children.
An Economic and Social Success Story
The Berlin Zoo is a veritable stage for happiness. Simply observing the diversity of the animal kingdom is not enough, as the stakes are also economic. In fact, the Zoo's sympathetic setting encourages uninhibited consumption. The Berlin Zoo is an integral part of the leisure industry, and the experience as such is perhaps more important than the discovery of exotic or other animals.
Professionalization has given the zoo the chance to achieve a level of both aesthetic and practical excellence on a par with the great theme parks. Better still, landscape artists have succeeded in turning the site into a unique and wonderful world. Admittedly, admission is rather expensive and the quality of the catering leaves something to be desired. However, the zoo's internal policy remains conciliatory and democratic, allowing visitors to bring their own lunch and picnic on site.
Berliners show great affection for their zoo. The death in 2011 of Knut the polar bear, born in Berlin and a popular mascot, deeply saddened the population. This is not an isolated case: in the 1930s, Berliners had set their sights on the gorilla Bobby, whose likeness can now be seen on the zoo's logo. Bobby and Knut are honored by the presence of two statues in the park's alleys. It's a question of transmission. Berlin Zoo is not only an achievement in terms of its construction, it is also an important part of the capital's heritage.
Reasons to Visit
A clean, charming and friendly setting
The zoo's excellent layout
Animal kingdom in all its diversity
Reasons to Skip
A tasteless gastronomic offer
Entrance fees too high
Visiting time sometimes too long
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