Ostrava Zoo. Attractions and practical information about Ostrava Zoo in the Czech Republic!

Ostrava Zoois the second largest zoo in the Czech Republic and at the same time a wonderful Botanical Garden. The whole area is about 100 hectares and impresses with its beauty and unusual species of fauna and flora. From Upper Silesia, you will arrive here in an hour, which is why there is no shortage of Poles. There are descriptions in Polish and even guided tours with a Polish guide. Even in winter, it is worth stopping here when cheaper tickets are waiting, because parts of the facility are then unavailable. On the city market square, on the other hand, the climatic fair delights.

How to get to Ostrava Zoo?

By car - very easily and quickly on the D1 motorway from the direction of Gliwice (free section from the border), exit 366 Ostrava – Hrušov, paid parking lots are waiting on site (Attention! The P1 and P2 car parks are open 24 hours a day. The P3 car park and the storey car park are available after filling the P1 and P2 car parks and are open in the winter season until 17.00, in March, September and October until 19.00, and from April to August until 20.00
By train - get off at Ostrava Hlavní Nádraží station (main station), there is a trolleybus stop in front of the station
Public transport (card payment) - trolleybus line 104 (runs from Náměstí Republiky), trolleybus line 106 (runs from the Main Railway Station " Ostrava Hlavní nádraží") with a change to trolleybus line 104 at the stop "Revírní bratská pokladna"
Stairway, i.e. line No. 88, but this one runs only in the season

We meet animals, i.e. a trip to the Ostrava Zoo

The Ostrava Zoo enchants with interesting animal species. You will see, among others, Indian lions, various types of other wild cats, Indian elephants, Ugandan giraffes, endangered red panda, ostriches, zebras, various species of monkeys or extremely endangered Vietnamese deer. There are also bears, lemurs, fish in aquariums and birds in aviaries. A walk around the zoo is a fantastic idea for family recreation and fun together. You can spend the whole day carefree and outdoors, away from the TV and other screens. That's why it's worth visiting the Ostrava Zoo!

Pavilions and exhibitions at Ostrava Zoo

The pavilion depicting life at Lake Tanganyika is interesting. Black land animals live under one roof, including the Nile hippopotamus and thenarrow-sided rocodile. The nightlife on this African lake is also shown here, and in this zone you will find a really large cave spider.

Unique and modern is the Evolution Pavilion, where you will explore the secrets of the development of species from West Africa. More than 200 animals live here, including mammals, birds, reptiles, musculoskeletal fish and invertebrates. Critically endangered long-haired chimpanzees and a large group of nomads deserve attention.

You will be fascinated by the African Animal Pavilion with extensive runs and viewpoints to the Safari area. Representatives of the African savanna live here: the Ugandan giraffe, the Capricorn beetle, the Blesbok and Eland antelopes, and Grevy's zebra.

Educational values of the Ostrava Zoo and Botanical Garden

In addition to animals, you will find here wonderful vegetation, very well-groomed and beautifully integrated into the whole area. The whole complex has very high educational values. Animal and plant species are described in information boards, often also in Polish. In addition, you will find many boards talking about the problems faced by the natural world today. About mindless killing, overproduction of palm oil or ecological issues. This senses not only young minds and allows for a more friendly development of life around us.

Botanical Park

A trip to the Ostrava Zoo is also a trip to the wonderful world of plants, because the Botanical Park has been beautifully integrated into the Zoological Garden. Here you will meet an interesting world of flora that enriches your walk through the alleys. Did you know that here you will find the largest complex of rhododendrons in the whole Czech Republic and Slovakia? In full spring, you can appreciate their charm when they bloom! In addition, you will find the Shadow Path, the Forest Path or the Water Path, as well as the Wetlands. They delight with bonsai plants and various grasses that give the climate exoticism, and the color will also strike you with greenhouses.

Experiences at the Ostrava Zoo

At the very entrance to the zoo there is a water reservoir with colorful crimson flamingos. This is an impressive invitation to continue visiting the zoo. Everyone eagerly stops here and watches the loud birds
Children's playground - the zoo has created several zones attractive to the youngest visitors, e.g. structures for running in the shape of a rope park or a sandbox with minerals, in which children become explorers and scientists
Replicas of skeletons of extinct animals, such as mammoths
Mini zoo - a farm with farm animals such as goats, sheep and ducks is one of the best attractions for children here
Walking peacocks in the Park
Restaurant and gastronomic points - there is no shortage of them in the Park and they are a great opportunity to relax for children and adults

Interesting facts about the Czech Ostrava Zoo

In December 2025, the first personal meeting between a lion and a lioness took place at the Ostrava zoo. The young female from Sweden acclimated here from April, in December there was a meeting and there were even the first attempts at copulation. May they end with the birth of a healthy lion cub. They are Indian lions, an endangered subspecies of lion and at the same time the only one found on the Asian continent
Indian lions once lived throughout western Asia. In 1920, less than 20 were left. Today, their population is estimated at 350 specimens living in their natural habitat in India's Gir Forest National Park. Several parks in Europe care about keeping the blood of these lions pure, including the Park in Ostrava
Indian elephants eat up to 250 kg of plant food a day and drink up to 200 liters of water. They only sleep 2-4 hours
The Sri Lankan leopard is an endangered subspecies of the leopard from the island of Sri Lanka, where only 600 leopards live. The breeding of this species in the Ostrava zoo is the longest continuous breeding in the world outside Sri Lanka. Leopards can also produce black hair

Remember that every visitor with their visit to the zoo supports the conservation activities of the zoo, which are aimed at saving the most endangered animal species in the world!

Did we like the Ostrava Zoo?

We visited the Ostrava garden with our daughters and we were all enchanted by this place, despite visiting in winter. In the summer, our admiration would probably be even greater! A lot of greenery and flowers, nicely pruned and well-groomed plants from different latitudes enrich the experience and the walk, and the animals attract attention very strongly. Not all catwalks are yet fully modern and extensive, but they have ingenious solutions and we look forward to further development of the facility. We will be happy to go here again when it is warm. We like to visit the zoo, we recommend in Poland the zoo in Wrocław or inOpole.

History of the Ostrava Zoo

The history of the Ostrava zoo is related to the activities of miners of the Zárubek and Alexander mines in the construction of the so-called Mining Park in the Kunčičky district. The park began to be built in 1948 near the Alexander mine and was used for recreational purposes. In 1949, a zoo was established in the park, where the goat, two roe deer and five pheasants were the first to live. The official date of its establishment is 26 October 1951.

As he was tiny, because he was only 6 hectares, a new location was sought from the beginning. The chance fell on the Great Ostrava Forest, called Stromovka in Silesian Ostrava. The animals moved in 1960. Since then, the Ostrava Zoo has been gradually developing, creating better conditions for animals from around the world and protecting endangered species.

Practical information

Ostrava Michálkovická Zoo
197
Tickets: in summer, a normal ticket of 180 crowns (about PLN 30)
in winter, a normal ticket of 130 crowns (about PLN 22)
Children under 3 years of age free admission
Tickets can be purchased online here: https://www.zoo-ostrava.cz/pl/bilet-elektroniczny/
In the zoo there are catering points and free toilets
You can find a corner for mothers with a child, e.g. in the Evolution Pavilion
No dogs allowed, except guide dogs
Prohibition of skates, cross-country bikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, segways and other vehicles
Paid car parks around the zoo, those closest to the facility can be paid with a card

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What's worth seeing in the area?

You don't have to travel far to find more interesting places. Within a radius of 100 kilometers, there are many attractions waiting for you that will certainly enrich your stay Your trip with additional memories.

The castle in Tworków, distance: 19.6 km
Kapias Gardens in Goczałkowice Zdrój, distance: 46.7 km
Pławniowice Palace, distance: 61.2 km
Castle in Żywiec, distance: 65.6 km
Black Trout Adit in Tarnowskie Góry, distance: 73.6 km
Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry, distance: 74.9 km
Moszna Castle, distance: 77.1 km
Energylandia, distance: 80.1 km
Gródek Park in Jaworzno, distance: 82.9 km
Tenczyn Castle, distance: 94.7 km