Tiergarten and Zoo, Berlin

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This monument is final home for 300.000 Russian soldiers killed in the liberation of Berlin. What went so wrong that such a huge number of young guys were lost on one side only? What kind of strategy or tactic was used to produce so many victims? How many colonels or generals were promoted and gloryfied after this battle? Did they wrotte 300.000 letters? Were it comfort for Stalin if the monument was built out of marble taken from Hitler's chancellory?
Its amazing what arrogancy could bring out from those who have ultimate power to order attack, no matter costs!

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I honestly am not too sure what to say or what to recommend about zoos. Are they a good thing or a bad one? I like to believe zoos do rescue animals, they do help to save some wild population. And when zoo trapped animals eventually start to breed, I trust that means they feel safe and sheltered. No doubt there are zoos which are really worse like they badly squeeze their animals into tiny cages! Then there are other zoos which truly take good care, and offer their animals a good welfare like Opel Zoo in Hesse defenitively does. If you like pls take a look at also the link to Opel Zoo. When I saw the childrens' joy and happiest smile at the petting zoo, I felt it's all ok the way it is. Sure, every time there's a pro to be found, there will be a con to be found too. In the end it's all about respect and education. Children and me been to Berlin's zoo, particulary for the petting zoo, back in summer 1995. Only many years later, in fall 2009 I and my friend made it to the Berlin zoo again. I still found that zoo to be a nice place though our visit was less about animals but a walk through autumn leaves with their golden hues adding bitter-sweet melancholy to the soul.

We left the US at 9 pm and arrived in London the next morning where we transferred to another plane and flew to Berlin. We arrived around 4:30 pm. After we checked into the hotel, neither Grandmummy or I was tired, so we went to the zoo. I saw a baby rhino and two rhinos fighting. We saw the ugliest looking vultures you ever saw. The monkeys were putting on a show. Even the giraffes were acting funny.

Day ticket Zoo Zoo & Aquarium
Adults €12,00 €18,00

Children 5 to 15 €6,00 €9,00

Family day ticet Zoo Zoo & Aquarium
Small family day ticket (one adult and three children under sixteen) €20,00 €30,00

A Large family is two adults and three children under sixteen

Possibly one of the world's most famous and oldest zoos, the Zoologischer Garten is beautifully landscaped and well-kept (considering the many thousands of daily visitors). There is a huge variety of animals to see, the most famous current resident being Knut the Polar Bear (he's not cute any more by the way :P).

If you visit the zoo you will need an entire day, especially if also visiting the world-renowned aquarium also (separate ticket, we didn't). The zoo itself is huge, and it would not be fun to rush around.

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It is a real pleasure to visit the Zoo in Berlin. There live really a lot of different species of animals. You can even touch some animals penguins for example. Not the tigers of course ;-)
I liked the zoo because it is really easy to go there, it has got a lot of attractions, the animals have very interesting housings and it is cheap compared to other zoos.

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The Berlin Zoo was opened in 1844 and is the oldest zoo in Germany and one of the largest in the world with nearly 15,000 animals, it is also one of the most popular attractions in Berlin with millions of visitors each year. The number one attraction is the Great Pandas of which the are only a few in captivity. As with all zoos there is a rolling program of renewing enclosures. There are beautiful landscaped gardens with plenty of places to have a drink or snack.

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As a child I had been taken to Berlin Zoo, on a few occasions so, although not a big fan of zoos generally, I decided it would be fun to have another look around and see if things had changed at all. Apart from the recent birth of an immensely popular little German, the baby polar bear Knut, nothing here seemed very different.

Knut fans old and young had crowded into the zoo in the hope of seeing him, but mostly this small, maybe 2 weeks old bear cub could only be seen via an outdoor screen. I'm not sure when exactly he was born but my brother seemed to think it must be several months ago - quite how long Berlin Zoo will profit from marketing him as a cute, cuddly bundle of white fluff, I don't know, but surely even a child will be able to work out that he must by now be a slightly yellowing, not-so cute, gangly, moody pubescent-bear? Anyway, there are the ubiquitous "I Heart Knut" t-shirts and keyrings and mugs and god knows what else everywhere for sale in Berlin, not only in the zoo.

Knut Update! - Spiegel.de

It costs an adult 11E to get into the zoo and 16E if you want to see the aquarium too. There are a couple of restaurants with pleasant outdoor areas serving hot and cold food and drinks.

An excellent way to spent your day, especially in the summer. Bring food with you, as you will probably spend the whole day there. Great for children. A lot of animals, and also a petting zoo.
Don't miss the feeding of the pandas and the sea elephants.
There is also a very good aquarium. You'll have to pay extra for it, but it is definatelly worth it.