I think
nobody will object me – Vienna is a great city. It is so much to do
there – museums, operas, theatres, parks, beautiful architecture, and cafes. Opera,
Sachertorte, Schnitzel and Strudel are the first things that
come into your mind when you hear the word Vienna. However I've been to Vienna
three times in my life, and there is only a single place I keep returning. And
no – that's not even the Schönbrunn
Palace, but close. It is Tiergarten
Schönbrunn – the main Zoo of Vienna.
The first
thing you should probably know about this zoo – it is believed, this is the oldest zoo in the world, it was
founded in 1752 (as a menagerie
at the beginning). It is located on the grounds of Schönbrunn
Palace (which means you can spend an entire day in Schönbrunn – visit the palace, wander around in the gardens, and
visit the zoo).
So – why is
this zoo special for me? Firstly, the variety of animals. I can find animals
that I won't find in any other place – and they all can be found in relatively
small area. The highlights for me definitely are the Giant Pandas, Red Pandas, Orang-utans, Koalas
and now also Polar Bears. And the great thing is – you can see that the
conditions for animals are absolutely perfect. Each animal has a large territory
with an option to hideaway from the unwanted attention. Secondly, the zoo is
located in a fantastic place – Schönbrunn
Palace gardens. Even if there would be no animals, the place is worth
seeing. Thirdly – infrastructure. There is everything you need for a full day
stay at the Zoo. There are plenty of food stands, cafes, souvenir shops etc.
Tips
·
Zoo
is easy reachable by metro, just take U4 line from city centre (a lot of connections to other metros
and other means of transportation can be found at the Kalsplatz station).
·
In
order to avoid a queue at the ticket booth, buy the tickets in advance in web-page
(you also save 1 EUR per ticket this way).
·
Be
sure to visit café at the pavilion constructed by Jean-Nicolas Jadot de
Ville-Issey in 1759. Wiener Schnitzel
tastes great there (keep in mind that the portion is extremely large – will be
enough for at least two people). Don't forget to take a look at the interior
decorations and the ceiling paintings. It is a weird feeling – you're eating
your Schnitzel, but outside the window you can see Ostriches talking a walk.
I've added
some picture from my last visit to the zoo. Hope you like them and hopefully
you'll have a chance to visit animals in Schönbrunn.
J
P.s.
Please, don't use flash on your cameras
– that won't improve the photo much, but will definitely disturb animals. And
don't make any noises trying to attract animals. Remember that it's a home to these animals and you're
just a visitor. J
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