Knut isn't the only attraction at Berlin Zoo! (Zoologischer Garten Berlin)

Member Name: chipsandsalsa

Product:	Zoologischer Garten Berlin
Date:	16/04/08 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good size zoo, plenty to see, good facilities in and around

Disadvantages: price may be too steep for some, will be packed during summertime

Ok here is my second Zoo review! ;D

I couldn't possibly go the year in Berlin without visiting the well known Zoo at Zoologischer Garten. Easy to get to- just take either S bahn, U bahn, or Regional Bahn to Berlin Zoologischer Garten, cross the road, and you are there.

The entry costs are Euro12 for adults, Euro6 for children, but if you want to visit the aqaurium too, you will have to fork out Euro18 for an adult and Euro9 for children. May seem rather a lot, but like Cologne, the zoo is pretty big (although maybe not quite as big?), and the aquarium is something special in itself.

Unlike at Cologne, i was not given a map, but its a zoo- its ok exlporing by yourself (although i know of course, a map would help). We just threw ourselves into it, and managed to spend a good 3 hours there- without even visiting the aquarium!We wandered around, and even though there were a lot of people there, were never barged or felt like we didn't have a chance to see the animals properly (We visited a week ago (April 08))

We saw many different animals, but a highlight was definitely the hippos- we were lucky enough to see them being fed. The primates were also impressive- the little monkeys were very active. The big apes were quite the opposite, but nevertheless fascinating to look at for a while ;) There are also giraffes, elephants and penguins, to name but a few. We watched the young penguins have a little fight with each other, and also visited the petting zoo! You can buy food for Euro0.20, and can feed animals such as horses and even swans! (do be careful with the swans- maybe don't let the children get their fingers near the beaks!!)

Berlin Zoo also has a decent number of bears- including brown bears and polar bears- namely the very famous Knut! Unfortunatley during this recent visit to the Zoo we didnt get a glimpse of him, but during a previous visit I did! Although often a little grubby, he is definitely worth going to see! We also caught a rather explicit show from a certain brown bear. Needless to say it was filmed and can be seen on youtube...There is also a huge selection of birds. Birds aren't really my thing, but we did see a few interesting ones!

There are plenty of WC facilities around the park, and I saw a few restaurants/snack points on my way round. (There are also places to eat outside the Zoo itself- right outside in fact.) I also noticed a big adventure playground quite near the petting area.

The aquarium is definitely worth a visit, in my opinion. I spent a good ten minutes in the lobby area touching some big fish!! (make sure u do wash your hands afterwards!) It was mainly attracting children but we coudn't resist! There are a huge number of fish and sharks, (i took plenty of pictures of some very colourful fish and some rather dangerous looking sharks!), as well as reptiles and insects too. We spent at least an hour and a half here.

The Zoo at Berlin is a great day out, especially if you visit the aquarium too. The animals were lively and there were so many different species!

Summary: A good day out for everyone, see the aquarium if you can!