Situated in south Salzburg in the Hellbrunn Palace (Schloss Hellbrunn estate, Salzburg Zoo—often called the Tiergarten Hellbrunn—houses around 1,400 animals from Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Around 300,000 people visit a year to view the animals and enjoy the other offerings, such as educational programs and events for kids.
Beneath Hellbrunn’s rocky cliffs, Salzburg Zoo features large, open enclosures that mimic the animals’ natural habitats as much as possible. Visitors buy tickets to explore the geographically arranged zones independently, roaming savannah-like Africa to see lions, cheetahs, and white rhinos; Eurasia to glimpse gibbons, wolverines, and red pandas; Australia to view kangaroos and pythons; and South America to spot iguanas, jaguars, and monkeys. Other highlights include a petting zoo, feeding displays, and a summertime night zoo.
Those wanting to incorporate Salzburg Zoo into wider Salzburg sightseeing should consider purchasing a Salzburg Card sightseeing pass. The card grants complimentary access to the zoo and numerous other Salzburg highlights such as the Mirabell Gardens, and is sometimes available paired with a themed city tour. Alternatively, reach the zoo on a Salzburg hop-on hop-off tour—buses stop outside the Hellbrunn Palace, near the zoo’s gate.
The easiest way to reach Salzburg Zoo from central Salzburg is via public transport. Buses run to the Hellbrunn Palace stop, a short walk from the entrance. Drivers should follow the B150 south from Salzburg before turning right onto Furstenweg and left onto Hellbrunnerstrasse to reach the zoo. Free parking is available near the zoo gate.
Salzburg Zoo is open 365 days a year, rain or shine. Although it’s rarely over-busy, visit early or later in the day to avoid crowds and see the animals at their most active. It’s also worth checking the feeding timetable on the zoo’s website if you’re keen to see the animals being fed.
The origins of Salzburg Zoo stretch back to the 15th century, when Salzburg’s Prince-Archbishops established a game park of fish farms and birds. Two centuries later, the princes embraced the baroque fashion for keeping exotic creatures and stocked Hellbrunn with tortoises, bears, wolves, lynx, and other species, thus laying the foundations for what would become Salzburg Zoo.
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