Wrocław Zoo

Wrocław Zoo, also known as Zoo Wrocław, has operated continuously since 1865 and is the oldest zoological garden on present-day Polish territory. It covers 33 hectares on Zygmunta Wróblewskiego street, close to Szczytnicki Park and the Oder.

Origins and first animals

The garden opened on 10 July 1865 on the initiative of the then mayor of Wrocław, Dr Julius Elwanger. The design was drawn up by Karl Lüdecke. At the opening, 189 animals were shown, of which 165 came from donations by city residents. In the following years the collection grew: in 1873 the first Indian elephant was bought, and two years later the menagerie numbered nearly 800 specimens.

War and rebuilding

Over its history, the garden went through periods of closure. It was first closed in 1921 because of the post-war crisis and resumed activity in 1927. During the siege of Wrocław in 1945, about 85 percent of the animals died of starvation, shelling or the destruction of the heating system. The zoo reopened on 18 July 1948 as part of the Exhibition of the Recovered Territories, with animals of 60 species at the time. In 1956 the grounds were expanded from 14 to 26 hectares, eventually reaching today's 33 hectares.

Historic buildings

Most of the 19th-century buildings were designed by architects Karl Schmidt and Albert Grau. Still standing today are, among others, the Bear Tower from 1863-1864, the House of Large Predators from 1874-1875, the Elephant House from 1888 and the Bird Pavilion from 1889, which has kept its original function. The Monkey Pavilion from 1887 was built in a Moorish style, and the Japanese Gate from 1912 served as a summer entrance from the Oder side. The whole complex is on the heritage register, most recently entered in 2011.

The zoo today and Afrykarium

At the end of 2015 the garden presented over 10,500 animals of 1,132 species, placing it third in the world by this measure among zoos. The site is visited by around 1.8 million people a year, with a daily attendance record of 28,300 visitors. The largest investment of recent years is Afrykarium, opened on 26 October 2014 as the largest oceanarium in Poland, with a penguin pool 4.5 metres deep, the deepest among the world's zoological gardens.

Practical information

• Address: Zygmunta Wróblewskiego 1, Wrocław, Biskupin-Sępolno-Dąbie-Bartoszowice district
• The garden is open daily from 9:00 to 18:00, last admission at 17:00; it is worth checking the hours on the official website before visiting
• The grounds are adapted for people with disabilities, and the official website offers high-contrast and large-text options
• A short walk from Afrykarium, Centennial Hall and Szczytnicki Park