Frankfurt kids don't have to go far to see a bear, a wolf or a kangaroo. There's a big zoo in town, and the forests and hills around the city have wildlife parks where kids feed deer and goats by hand, plus a rescue farm with donkeys to stroke. Here's what we checked, from the gorillas at Frankfurt Zoo to the wolf pack in the Hanau forest.
Frankfurt Zoo packs more than 450 species into 11 hectares, from gorillas, bonobos and orangutans in the Borgori Forest ape house to seals, Humboldt penguins, giraffes and okapi outside. The Exotarium has a tropical rainforest pool and leafcutter ants, and the Grzimek House holds small animals like mouse lemurs and bats.
Kids can pet dwarf goats and run off steam on the big sand playground.
Opel-Zoo spreads about 1,700 animals over 27 hectares of hillside between Kronberg and Königstein. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and red pandas live in large open enclosures, and glass panes let kids watch spectacled penguins swim and dive.
In the walk-in petting zoo kids can feed the animals, then head for the adventure playgrounds with a climbing forest, zip line, ball pool and trampoline.
Sindlinger Glückswiese is a sanctuary farm and riding therapy center on the edge of Sindlingen, home to more than 75 animals, many of them rescues: horses, ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep, geese, ducks, chickens, pigs and cattle. None are sold or slaughtered.
Visits are guided. On a cuddle hour, staff walk families through the paddocks to meet and stroke the animals. Preschool pony sessions teach safe handling through play rather than riding.
A wildlife park on 25 hectares of woodland at the edge of Wiesbaden, home to over 130 animals from about 40 species native to the region. The big draws are brown bears, wolves and lynx. Some enclosures are walk-in and some animals roam the paths freely. Kids can feed the sheep, goats and deer with food sold at the park, and a keeper talks through one feeding each day.
A 107-hectare forest wildlife park on the edge of Hanau, home to about 350 animals from around 40 Central and Northern European species: wolves, lynx, elk, European bison, wild boar and wildcats. Kids can feed deer, mouflon and goats with feed sold at the ticket desk. Flat, wide forest paths run 15 km through the park, and the Erlebniswald play trail sits between the main path and the wolf enclosure.
Zoo Vivarium is the city of Darmstadt's own zoo, spread over 5 hectares beside the botanical garden. Monkeys, colorful birds, reptiles and tropical fish live in planted enclosures, terrariums and aquariums.
Kids can walk among the kangaroos in their open enclosure and pet the African pygmy goats in the petting zoo. Keepers explain the animals at commented feedings every open day, and every path works for strollers and wheelchairs.
Kobelt Zoo is a small zoo on the edge of the Schwanheim forest, run entirely by volunteers. Around 200 animals from 50 species live on the grounds, including kangaroos, meerkats, rheas, raccoons, donkeys, ponies and sheep, and many of them were rescued. It suits a slow afternoon with young animal fans more than a full day out.
Frankfurt kids don't have to go far to see a bear, a wolf or a kangaroo. There's a big zoo in town, and the forests and hills around the city have wildlife parks where kids feed deer and goats by hand, plus a rescue farm with donkeys to stroke. Here's what we checked, from the gorillas at Frankfurt Zoo to the wolf pack in the Hanau forest.
Frankfurt Zoo packs more than 450 species into 11 hectares, from gorillas, bonobos and orangutans in the Borgori Forest ape house to seals, Humboldt penguins, giraffes and okapi outside. The Exotarium has a tropical rainforest pool and leafcutter ants, and the Grzimek House holds small animals like mouse lemurs and bats.
Kids can pet dwarf goats and run off steam on the big sand playground.
Opel-Zoo spreads about 1,700 animals over 27 hectares of hillside between Kronberg and Königstein. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and red pandas live in large open enclosures, and glass panes let kids watch spectacled penguins swim and dive.
In the walk-in petting zoo kids can feed the animals, then head for the adventure playgrounds with a climbing forest, zip line, ball pool and trampoline.
Sindlinger Glückswiese is a sanctuary farm and riding therapy center on the edge of Sindlingen, home to more than 75 animals, many of them rescues: horses, ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep, geese, ducks, chickens, pigs and cattle. None are sold or slaughtered.
Visits are guided. On a cuddle hour, staff walk families through the paddocks to meet and stroke the animals. Preschool pony sessions teach safe handling through play rather than riding.
A wildlife park on 25 hectares of woodland at the edge of Wiesbaden, home to over 130 animals from about 40 species native to the region. The big draws are brown bears, wolves and lynx. Some enclosures are walk-in and some animals roam the paths freely. Kids can feed the sheep, goats and deer with food sold at the park, and a keeper talks through one feeding each day.
A 107-hectare forest wildlife park on the edge of Hanau, home to about 350 animals from around 40 Central and Northern European species: wolves, lynx, elk, European bison, wild boar and wildcats. Kids can feed deer, mouflon and goats with feed sold at the ticket desk. Flat, wide forest paths run 15 km through the park, and the Erlebniswald play trail sits between the main path and the wolf enclosure.
Zoo Vivarium is the city of Darmstadt's own zoo, spread over 5 hectares beside the botanical garden. Monkeys, colorful birds, reptiles and tropical fish live in planted enclosures, terrariums and aquariums.
Kids can walk among the kangaroos in their open enclosure and pet the African pygmy goats in the petting zoo. Keepers explain the animals at commented feedings every open day, and every path works for strollers and wheelchairs.
Kobelt Zoo is a small zoo on the edge of the Schwanheim forest, run entirely by volunteers. Around 200 animals from 50 species live on the grounds, including kangaroos, meerkats, rheas, raccoons, donkeys, ponies and sheep, and many of them were rescued. It suits a slow afternoon with young animal fans more than a full day out.
