Zlin Lesna Zoo

The zoo at Lesna opened in 1948 in the park of a neo-Gothic chateau built for the Seilern family in the 1890s, and the setting is what distinguishes it: about eighty hectares of mature landscape park with old trees, ponds and open ground, in which the collection is arranged by continent - an African savanna with a mixed hoofstock enclosure, an Asian section, an Australian one and a large South American area with a walk-through tropical hall, Yucatan, where visitors move among free-flying birds and sloths. There is a walk-through lemur island and an aviary of the same kind. It is regularly ranked among the best zoos in the country and in surveys of European zoos. The chateau in the middle is open with period rooms and the Seilern collections. A land train runs the circuit for those who want it.

History

The zoo, by Lešná Castle about 10 km from the centre of Zlín, dates its foundation to 1804-1805 and opened to the public in 1948. In 2011 it became the second most visited zoo in the country, and in 2020 it was the fifth most visited tourist destination in the country overall (Wikipedia, Zlín-Lešná Zoo).

What to look for

• Eighty hectares of park - the collection laid out among mature trees and ponds.
• Continental sections - African, Asian, Australian and South American areas.
• Walk-through enclosures - the Yucatan tropical hall and a lemur island.
• A neo-Gothic chateau - open with period rooms in the middle of the zoo.

When to go

April to October. A day.

What to expect

The site is large and hilly - a full day, and the land train is useful. Very busy at weekends and in school holidays. The chateau is a separate ticket. Walk-through halls close in cold weather.

Nearby

Zlin and the Bata buildings are south; Luhacovice is east.

Key facts