The 7 best zoos in Poland, check out the ranking and plan your weekend with us!

In my experience, parents often face the problem of where to take the child on a trip, so that it is not boring, so that the child has fun and is curious, but also so that adults spend a nice day together with their children. The perfect idea for such a full-day activity arezoos and any mini zoo, which are not lacking in Poland lately. Children love them, and I write this as a mother of three daughters 🙂

We have already visited many such facilities, we are happy to come back to some of them and leave satisfied every time. Many zoos are also open in winter and this is also a good time to watch the animals, without the crowds of tourists, when they parade only for us 🙂 Below is a map with marked zoos and wildlife, which we have described on our blog. There are quite a few of them.

See which Polish animals captivated us the most, I have compiled 7 such objects, and the assessment is of course subjective. I took into account not only the animals themselves, but also the facilities for families with children, interesting solutions and additional attractions that make the trip to this place an unforgettable adventure! Meet the best zoo in Poland!

Wrocław Zoo with Afrkarium

We visited the Afrikarium in 2014, when it was created in the Wrocław Zoo. Applause for this facility, it is the first of its kind, a huge investment in the Polish zoo. I am sure that it was to the taste of a very wide crowd of tourists, as evidenced by the queues at the zoo ticket offices. To avoid them, you can buy a ticket online a little in advance. 

Afrikarium is something that has brought us significantly closer to Europe, because it is unique even on a global scale. The complex presents various ecosystems of the Black Continent related to the aquatic environment. Fabulously colorful aquariums, bodies of water and swimming pools take us to the heart of Africa. The most impressive is the half-tunnel, where interesting specimens of the underwater world flow overhead. Thanks to Afrykarium Zoo Wrocław has certainly become the best zoo in Poland!

While visiting the Afrkarium, we also strolled around the Wrocław Zoo, because it is a pity not to visit this legendary place of the Gucwiński family, which is the oldest zoo in Poland! Here you can see many species of animals, both popular and endangered. Animals live here in friendly conditions, as close as possible to those in natural conditions. The Odrarium for the European otter is great, the catwalk for baboons, where you can see their real family life, exotic impressions will be provided by the Terrarium with the Butterfly House, as well as catwalks with predators. The historic bear fortress - the oldest building in the zoo - also deserves attention. The tiger has a nice runway, you can look him in the eye through the glass, and the Elephant House is historic!

There are several thematic pavilions in the Wrocław Zoo, where you can admire animals even during bad weather. As in other zoos, show feeding takes place here at fixed times, also in winter, it is a nice opportunity to see the active behavior of the animals, because I know from experience that even before the hour of feeding, the animals are already asking for their own, it is always a big attraction for children 🙂
Year-round facility
of the Wrocław Zoo
ul. Z. Wróblewskiego 1-5, Wrocław
http://www.zoo.wroclaw.pl

Opole Zoo

The next best Zoo in Poland is the Opole Zoo, which we visited again in January 2020 and despite the winter did not seem unattractive at all, on the contrary, the animals were active, they did not hide from the crowds of spectators and from the heat, because of course it was not🙂 But there were cheaper tickets, because most zoos in the winter season reduce ticket prices. And the zoo itself? Well, the facility is developing wonderfully, the first time we were 10 years ago and the difference shocked us. The enclosures in the small Opole Zoo, located on the picturesque Bolko Island, are very inventive and give the impression of conditions similar to natural for individual species. A lot of tunnels and shafts allow you to look at animals from a close distance. 

The wolf made a frenzy

Bałtowski Zwierzyniec

I must admit that Bałtowski Zwierzyniec is a place that really charmed us, I felt a bit like in an American film 🙂 Bałtowski Zwierzyniec was created in the Bałtowski Tourist Complex, in a small town of Świętokrzyskie. This is an extremely interesting attraction that we visited in 2019. It consists of two facilities - Zwierzyniec Dolny and Zwierzyniec Górny. Zwierzyniec Dolny is visited on foot, it is such a mini zoo attractive mainly for small children. They will see goats, donkeys, a pony, peacocks and other birds, monkeys or meerkats. The terrain is not very extensive, just right for small feet. Our youngest traveled through it in a stroller, because she had not yet used her legs🙂

The case of Zwierzyniec Górny, which, for me, is a hit of all Bałtów, is completely different! It is a large area, but we move around it in an American schoolbus and watch animals grazing from its deck. Some even look at the bus themselves🙂 It's a real safari, only without lions! Among the animals there are native species, such as bison, cows, deer, fallow deer, goats, but also quite exotic - Zebu cattle, Scottish cattle, Watussi cattle, such as Tibetan, Cameroon sheep, Quessant sheep, Angora goats, African dwarf goats, Sika deer, double-camels, llamas, African ostriches, emu, nilgau antelopes, alpacas or mouflons. Driving through the Zwierzyniec area is a great adventure, all the more so because it takes place among beautiful loess gorges. I highly recommend it! On top of that, there are many, many other attractions for the whole family. It is a great place for a full-day or even a weekend family trip, there are accommodation available on site.
Year-round facility
Bałtowski Zwierzyniec
Bałtowski Kompleks Turystyczny 
ul. Bałtów 8a, Bałtów
https://juraparkbaltow.pl/atrakcje/zwierzyniec-baltowski/

Zwierzyniec in the Adventure Park in Wilkowice

The Adventure and Attraction Park in Wilkowice is a cool entertainment complex for the whole family, which also offers a game park among various attractions, and it is by no means a mini zoo, but a real game park. We visited it in 2019 and it made a big and positive impression on us. There are quite a lot of animal species here, not only native ones, but also a lot of exotic ones. You will see deer, fallow deer, roe deer, sheep, goats, but also camels, ostriches, llamas, donkeys, ponies, kangaroos, nutria, meerkats and monkeys. There are also domestic birds and Vietnamese pigs. Animals can be fed with carrots and corn purchased on site. Children are happy to take advantage of this.

We were surprised by the great conditions offered to the animals here, the extensive and very well-groomed catwalks

Lodz Zoo

The Municipal Zoological Garden in Łódź is not large, but it made a positive impression on us. Now this zoo is attractive, and already this year (2021) it will be stunning, because another huge investment is being built here in Poland, namely the magnificent Orientarium. It is to occupy half of the entire area of the zoo, with extensive enclosures and aviaries, where animals will live in large spaces in combination with other species, in a varied environment, as in their real world. It's like the Afrikarium, only with animals from Asia.

Currently, you can admire Amur tigers, an Asian lion, a female dwarf hippopotamus or a koenda on beautiful catwalks. The latter is unique on a national scale, in all of Poland only in the Łódź Zoo you can see this animal. It is a mammal from South America, it has a catchy tail and a body covered with numerous needles. A unique curiosity are the vultures in which the trapper's path was created. At a special vantage point, you will look these birds almost in the eye without any protection. The world of Australian fauna also has a well-prepared catwalk. In this respect, the zoo in Łódź is very attractive, because tourists have many interesting opportunities to observe animals. As in other zoos, there are attractions for the youngest - mini-zoo, rope park, playgrounds, show feeding, etc.
Year-round facility
of the Municipal Zoological Garden in Łódź
konstantynowska 8/10, Łódź
https://orientarium.lodz.pl/
 

Chorzów Zoo

We have already visited the Silesian Zoological Garden many times, because we live nearby. This zoo may not have impressed for years, but it is worth noting today, because in recent years it has significantly improved its image and every year there are more and more attractive and ingenious catwalks. New pavilions for giraffes, extensive enclosures for tigers, cheetahs, gibbons, rhinos and crocodiles have been prepared. After the renovation, there is a catwalk for elephants, and a new home for irbis is also planned, and very well, because now these wonderful animals are not sufficiently exposed, but above all they do not have the right living conditions they deserve.

An interesting feature is the Humboldt penguin farm, which was completed in 2020 and now enjoys tourists with small residents who can be watched underwater and on the rocky beach. A unique feature on a national and even European scale is the rocky Dinosaur Basin, where huge specimens of these fossil reptiles stand to the delight of the youngest.
Year-round facility
Silesian Zoological Garden
Gen. Jerzy Ziętek Promenade 7, Chorzów
http://zoo.silesia.pl/

Borysev Safari Zoo 

The Borysew Safari Zoo is a unique and modern place in the heart of Poland, near Poddębice. We will meet here face to face with wild animals from 5 continents. The biggest curiosity are white Bengal tigers, white lions and puma. But there are also less dangerous animals - antelopes or turtles. Milusińska is a seal named Dawid, which gives cool shows. Apparently, seals can be trained at a level similar to that of dogs. You can see it during the show 😉

It is definitely worth visiting the Giraffe Shop, but the Water World deserves special attention - a great investment with an island, water and exotic vegetation, there are: mandrels, American alligators, lemurs, white-tailed cats and other interesting species.

Of course, a mini zoo has been prepared for the children, where not only little hands can feed and cuddle the animals, but also take a pony ride. Other attractions for children include a playground and a playroom, and together with their parents, they can watch animals from the deck of the Zoo roller coaster, even in bad weather. It's a Zoo Safari hit! Elders will also admire the 7D cinema and Cinecoaster 7D. The latter takes us on a journey through the "Mysterious Underworld" or for an exciting face-to-face meeting with a dangerous shark. Unfortunately, these are already separately paid experiences. Safari Borysew Zoo should definitely be in the ranking of the best zoos in Poland!
Zoo Safari Borysew seasonal facility

Borysew 25, Poddębice
https://zoosafari.com.pl/

And have you already learned about all these objects? Or maybe other animals in Poland captivated you, which zoo in Poland do you think is the best? Write your opinion in the comment, I'm interested 🙂

What's worth seeing in the area?

If you are looking for more ideas for interesting places to visit, we have it for you some options in the area. There are several attractions within a radius of 100 kilometers, that are worth adding to your travel plan.

• Krzyżtopór Castle, distance: 37  km
• Świętokrzyski National Park, distance: 38.8  km
• Sandomierz, distance: 39.6  km
• Janowiec Castle, distance: 42.4  km
• Kazimierz Dolny, distance: 44.4  km
• Magic Gardens in Janowiec, distance: 46.9  km
• Radom, distance: 51.3  km
• Kielce, distance: 66.3  km
• Paradise Cave, distance: 76.3  km
• Wiślica, distance: 96  km