We decided to take a day trip to the Berlin ZOO with our friends. First idea was to get there with three families, but in the end we went with two.
We set off from Poznan in the morning. The road to Berlin is fast and convenient (and not cheap!) – you can take the A2 highway. In the center of Berlin traffic is restricted for vehicles with a vignette only – there is an ecological Umwelt Zone. Buying this sticker for a single visit is not worth it. We decided to leave the car outside the ring and take subway to get to city center. We found a cheap parking garage — called Car Park Steglitzer Kreisel, it is located at Schloßstr. 74. Leaving the car for one day costs 2.5 euros here. This garage is open around the clock. Next to the parking lot is the subway station – simply perfect.
We were 8 stops away from Berlin Zoo on metro line U9. Getting to the place took 10 minutes. In the subway you can buy a family all day ticket, so you can save on transportation costs.
At the ZOO we bought tickets that allow admission to both the zoo and the aquarium – a ticket is called Kombi and costs 20 EUR. On entry to the Zoo you don’t get a map of the area – it can be bought for a few Euros. We supported our visit by online map in cellphone. If you prefer to have a printed version, you should prepare it at home.
The Berlin zoo is very nice. This is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and one of the best in the world. A huge number of animals — 15,000 belonging to approx. 1,600 species. Each species has recreated natural conditions. Most of the animals are very well visible.
The park is well maintained and is ideal place for walking. Many people rest on the premises, not only spending time on watching the animals, but eg. reading a newspaper or talking outdoors. There are numerous statues of animals, fountains, and a large playground for children and a huge amount of vegetation.
The zoo has a few restaurants. We went to one of them to buy some chips.
Berlin Zoo covers an area of 35 hectares. With huge aquarium we’ve got area that’s far too much to watch in one day, especially with children.
We expected to see a panda. Imagine our surprise when we noticed that the panda was gone because it had died a few years earlier. The fact is that we hadn’t checked that prior to arrival. Children thus were a little disappointed that in the place where the panda had lived there was just an empty cage and a commemorative plaque.
We saw: elephants, tigers, lions, giraffes, crocodiles, nocturnal animals (including bats), gorillas, monkeys, hippos, rhinos, penguins, flamingos, kangaroos, llamas, bears, zebras, owls, antelope, seals and penguins. The aquarium also has a large jellyfish exhibit as well as reptiles, amphibians and insects. Here we especially recommend the huge formicarium with ants. One of the interesting attractions for children is Tierkinderzoo. There are goats and sheep that you can pet.
We highly recommend to go to the Berlin Zoo. It is easily accessible from Poland. The number of animals is huge — we need to repeat the trip someday in the future.