A fascinating excursion for children and adults: Hellabrunn Zoo opened in 1911, at that time the first geozoo in the world. And today, around 18,500 animals still live here in a landscape conservation area directly on Munich's Isar river.
Animals have been living in Munich’s Tierpark Hellabrunn since 1928. They are divided up according to continent, meaning that a trip to this zoo is a bit like taking a journey around the globe, from the Arctic to Africa, Europe to Asia and America to Australia. The animals live in natural communities inside large enclosures, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Isar River floodplains. Over 500 exotic and local species – ranging from giraffes and the Alpine ibex to leafcutter ants – have made a home for themselves here.
The highlights include the historic elephant house, which has been completely refurbished, the bat cave and a jungle world. Another new addition is the mill village, where you can take a closer look at the local flora and fauna. Right next to the Auer Mühlbach, native fish species are also bred, which are then settled in the local waters.
Munich Zoo covers an area of 40 hectares. You should plan at least three hours for a visit. But if you want to take a leisurely stroll and a break, you can also spend a whole day here.
The zoo is particularly exciting for younger guests: a petting zoo with pygmy goats, two playgrounds and Hellabrunn Kinderland (Hellabrunn Children’s World) are sure to get every child’s pulse racing. Breathtaking experiences, a wealth of information and entertainment are guaranteed in the regular tours, animal shows and feeding events, like the polar bear talk, sea lion training and the bird of prey and dove shows.
If all that strolling around the zoo has got your appetite going, there are plenty of options to choose from: visitors can opt for the restaurant and beer garden, a pizzeria, bistro, café, kiosks and crepe stand.Most places are open between February and November, but the zoo restaurant is open all year round.
You can get to Hellabrunn Zoo very easily by public transport: Simply take underground line 3 in the direction of Fürstenried West and get off at the "Thalkirchen (Tierpark)" stop. Visitors then only have to cross the Thalkirchner Brücke bridge and they are already at the so-called "Isar entrance" to the zoo. If you arrive on the other side with the 52 bus, you can take the "Flamingo entrance" to get to the zoo faster.
But you can also get there by car, there are plenty of parking spaces on site. You can either park in Tierparkstraße at the Isar entrance or in Siebenbrunner Straße at the Flamingo entrance. The first car park is run by the Bavarian Red Cross, the second belongs to the zoo and costs 6 euros.
Information on prices and opening hours at www.hellabrunn.de