Berlin Zoological Garden

Opened in 1844 with animals from the royal menagerie on the Pfaueninsel, the Zoo is the oldest in Germany and holds more species than any other zoo in the world, around a thousand, on a comparatively small site of thirty-three hectares. The Elephant Gate, rebuilt after wartime destruction, is a pagoda-roofed structure on carved elephants and is the zoo's emblem. Almost all the animals were lost in the war, with ninety-one survivors in 1945, and the collection was rebuilt afterwards. The aquarium next door, opened in 1913, holds fish, reptiles and insects over three floors. Berlin unusually has a second large zoo, the Tierpark, in the east.

What you actually see

• The species count - around a thousand species, more than any other zoo.
• The Elephant Gate - a pagoda-roofed entrance on carved elephants.
• The aquarium - a 1913 building of fish, reptiles and insects.
• The compact site - a very large collection on thirty-three hectares.

When to go

April to October; the zoo opens daily year-round. Weekends and school holidays are busy. Combined tickets with the aquarium are better value.

Honest expectations

The site is small for the number of species and some enclosures are dated. Weekends are crowded. The aquarium is a separate ticket unless combined.

Nearby

The Tiergarten lies east; the Kurfürstendamm is south.