Hagenbecks Tierpark

Hagenbeck is Hamburg's obligatory family outing and one of the most important zoos in the world - not in spite of its history, but because of it. In 1907 Carl Hagenbeck became the first zoologist anywhere to open barless enclosures separated by moats, convinced that cages 'kill the spirit of every animal'. Hundreds of zoos worldwide have since been reshaped along Hagenbeck lines. Today around 1,850 animals from 210 species live across 25 hectares in Stellingen, including Asian elephants (one of Europe's few successful breeding groups), polar bears in the Eismeer aquarium that opened in 2012, orangutans in the Tropen-Aquarium and the iconic Indian temple gateway at the entrance. The practicalities: 27.50 € for adults, 19.50 € for children (as of 2026); the Tier-Aquarium costs a further 22 €, the combined ticket 41 €. A full day with aquarium and Eismeer realistically takes four to six hours. Feeding times for the headline acts (polar bears, walruses, orangutans) are posted at the entrance - best to photograph them on arrival and plan around them. Getting there: U2 Hagenbecks Tierpark stops right at the gates, 20 minutes from the Hauptbahnhof. Very busy on summer weekends; a weekday with the school crowds or a late-fall stroll are the quietest options.