Zoological City Gardens

Welcome to Zoological City Gardens

The Zoological City Garden in Karlsruhe is one of the oldest zoos in Germany and is characterized by its combination of zoo and city garden. Located in the heart of the city center, it is one of the most popular excursion destinations in the fan-shaped city.

General information

In 1865, the Baden Poultry Breeding Association laid the foundation stone for Karlsruhe Zoo by opening the "Thiergarten". Just a few years later, the dedicated private initiators could no longer afford the maintenance costs. After initial financial support from the city, 12 years later the entire inventory of animals and enclosures became city property.

Today, the Zoologischer Stadtgarten consists of the Stadtgarten with its many themed gardens and areas and the Zoo embedded in the Stadtgarten with its numerous animal enclosures. At 22 hectares, it is the largest inner-city park. This diverse offering is complemented by restaurants and children's playgrounds.

City garden area

In the city garden you will find around 800 impressive trees from many countries, 15,000 roses in 130 varieties, many tulips and summer flowers, perennials and climbing plants. Famous is also the Japan Garden, a miniature landscape with a Shinto shrine, stone lions and pagoda. The city garden is home to over 4000 animals in 250 species - from elephants to little meerkats.

Zoological area

The animal world is presented in themed areas. The sea lions, seals and penguins have moved into their enclosures in the "Water habitat", which was redesigned in 2009. The near-natural enclosures depict a coastal landscape with rocky cliffs and offer observers fascinating insights through underwater viewing windows

Directly next door is the tundra landscape of the polar bear enclosure. Here, too, the animals can be observed diving and swimming through underwater windows. Many large and small classics of Africa's animal kingdoms can be admired in three large enclosures - the "African Savannah". The "Himalayan Mountain World" has been opened on the eastern slope of the Lauterberg. Among other things, the rare snow leopards have their large, attractive enclosure here, where they feel at home. Since 2015, the exotic house with around 2000 animals has expanded the zoo's offerings. Here you can experience and marvel at birds, bats, white-faced sakis and two-toed sloths up close.

Gondoletta

Every year, the gondoletta season begins on Good Friday in the Zoologischer Stadtgarten just in time for Easter. During a 40 minute round trip across the City Garden Lake and Swan Lake, visitors sail past the various animal enclosures and can view them from a completely different angle. The Gondolettas will be cruising through the Zoologischer Stadtgarten until mid-October.

Tip

The show feedings of the sea lions and penguins are particularly worth seeing!

Source: DZT Knowledge Graph