General information
In 1865, the Baden Poultry Breeding Association laid the foundation for Karlsruhe Zoo with the opening ofthe "Thiergarten" ( animal garden). Just a few years later, the dedicated private initiators were no longer able to cover the maintenance costs. After initial financial support from the city, the entire inventory, including animals and enclosures, became municipal property 12 years later.
Today, the Zoologischer Stadtgarten consists of the Stadtgarten with its many themed gardens and areas as well as the zoo with its numerous animal enclosures embedded in the Stadtgarten. At 22 hectares, it is the largest inner-city park. This diverse offering is complemented by restaurants and children's playgrounds.
City garden area
The city garden is home to around 800 impressive trees from many countries, 15,000 roses of 130 varieties, numerous tulips and summer flowers, perennials, and climbing plants. The Japanese garden is also famous, a miniature landscape with a Shinto shrine, stone lions, and a pagoda. The city garden is home to over 6,000 animals of 350 species– from elephants to small meerkats.
Zoological area
The animal world is presented in themed areas. Sea lions, seals, and penguins have moved into their new enclosures in the "Water Habitat," which was redesigned in 2009. The naturalistic enclosures depict a coastal landscape with rocky cliffs and offer visitors fascinating insights through underwater viewing windows.
Right next to it is the tundra landscape of the polar bear enclosure. Here, too, visitors can watch the animals diving and swimming through underwater windows. Many large and small classics of the African animal world 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 animals, the rare snow leopards have their large, attractive enclosure here, where they feel at home. Since 2015, the Exotic House with around 2,000 animals has expanded the zoo's offerings. Here, birds, bats, white-faced sakis, and two-toed sloths can be experienced and admired up close.Â
Gondoletta
Every year, just in time for Easter, the gondola season begins on Good Friday in the Zoologischer Stadtgarten. During a 40-minutetour of the Stadtgartensee and Schwanensee lakes, visitors glide past the various animal enclosures and can view them from a completely different perspective. The gondolas operate in the Zoologischer Stadtgarten until mid-October.
Tip
The show feedings of the sea lions and penguins are particularly worth seeing!
