Prague ZOO

Prague Zoo is ideal for a day out for both kids and adults. Covering 65 hectares it equals in size many world zoos and offers animals from mighty elephants to tiny colored beetles. The zoo, which has suffered two floods, a war and totalitarianism, is one of the most highly regarded zoos in the world and in 2007 has been ranked by Forbes magazine as the seventh best.

The Prague Zoo was first open to public on September 28th, 1931. Initially, it was only 8 hectares, and its first arrivals included former circus animals. At that time, the zoo’s philosophy was a little different to today’s attempts to replicate the animal’s natural habitats as much as possible. Eight years after the zoo opened, it went through some rough times - Czechoslovakia was invaded and the war years also witnessed a flood. However, during this time, Prague Zoo was the first zoo to succeed in breeding a polar bear artificially.

Today, the Prague Zoo offers many attractions and is constantly growing. The Gorilla Pavilion gets quite packed since there are baby gorillas commanding a lot of attention. In the African Savannah and House you have the chance to see the zebra, antelope and ostrich out in the open. In the house you can get as close to the giraffes as the large glass screen allows. If you’re fond of bats or are pining for an authentic experience you can see Egyptian Fruit Bats flying freely around you in the nocturnal house of the Indonesian Jungle Pavilion.

Since the zoo is quite large we recommend taking the chairlift to the upper area and walking down the hill at the end of your viewing. The zoo also has quite a busy schedule of events. such as feedings, short lectures and trainings. From the rare species to see there is the Przewalski’s Horse, Cuban Boa, Cuban Ground Iguana, the Malaysian Giant Turtle, and Giant Asian Pond Turtle.

To get to the zoo you can take the Bus 112 from Nádraží Holešovice on Metro Line C (the red one), or a steam boat from Rašínovo nábřeží. An adult is 150 CZK. A family ticket (2 adults and 2 kids) is 450 CZK.

The zoo's opening hours do change through the year, staying open till 19:00 in summer, but closing at 16:00 in the winter.