Oliwa Zoo, Gdansk

Oliwa zoo occupies a wooded valley on the inland edge of Gdansk, backing onto the Tricity Landscape Park, and it is the largest zoo in Poland in terms of land. That gives it space most Polish zoos do not have, with enclosures spread along the slopes and a lot of forest left standing between them, so the visit feels more like a long walk in the woods than a circuit of cages. The collection is broad rather than specialised, with big cats, primates, giraffes and a bird and reptile house, and the zoo is known for breeding Andean condors. A road train runs through the site in season, which most families end up using at least one way.

History

A menagerie existed in Oliwa from 1927, and the zoo was formally opened on 1 May 1954 in the Leśny Młyn valley, on the site of a sanatorium for respiratory and rheumatic illness. It grew quickly in the 1950s and 1960s under its first director, Michał Massalski; a giraffe house opened in July 2008, the first takin arrived in March 2009, and four lions came in 2014 (Wikipedia, Gdańsk Zoo; Polish Wikipedia, Gdański Ogród Zoologiczny).

What to look for

• The valley setting - mature forest on both slopes with paths climbing and dropping between enclosures.
• The big cats and giraffes - tigers, lions and a giraffe house opened in 2008.
• The road train - a wheeled shuttle that saves the steepest climbs, useful with small children.
• The forest edge - the zoo backs directly onto the Tricity Landscape Park, so trails continue beyond it.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn are best, with active animals and comfortable walking weather. Summer weekends and school holidays are the busiest. Mornings are better than afternoons for seeing animals moving. In winter the outdoor sections are thin and many species are indoors or out of sight, so the ticket is harder to justify then.

Practical notes

The size that makes it pleasant also makes it tiring: distances between enclosures are long and the valley is steep, which is hard work with a pushchair. Some enclosures are visibly older and smaller than the space around them suggests. Paths turn muddy after rain, the walk up from the station is uphill, and animals are often out of view in bad weather.

Nearby

Oliwa park and its cathedral are downhill from the gate, and the Tricity forest trails start immediately behind the zoo.

Key facts