Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden in Stuttgart, Germany

Ever since my husband and I moved to Germany last fall, we've been trying to get out and enjoy the country before we have to move back to the United States. Last weekend, we had beautiful weather, so we decided to check out Stuttgart's Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden.

First things to know...

Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden is located near the Bad Cannstatt neighborhood in Stuttgart. The main entrance to the park is open every day, even on major holidays, from 8:15 am until between 4:00pm and 6:00pm, depending on the month. Visitors must leave by nightfall, by 8:00pm at the latest. The park is located near public transport and parking is also available, the cost of which is determined by how long you stay.

Tickets for adults cost 11,40 euros per adults and 5,70 euros per each child. Family tickets are also available at 17,10 euros for one parent and his or her children or 28,50 euros for both parents with their children. Groups of fifteen or more can access discounted group rates.

Our experience

It was a beautiful spring Saturday afternoon when we visited, so Wilhelma was pretty crowded. We chose to walk through some of the botantical gardens first, which was mostly housed in greenhouse like structures. The plant life was beautifully laid out, with the climate set appropriately for the plant specimens. If there's one thing the Germans do very well, it's plants. All of the trees, shrubs, and flowers I saw in the botanical gardens were well tended and very healthy looking. I wished I could have stayed longer, but I was in dire need of a ladies room, so we ended up rushing through the first few botanical exhibits.

Once we emerged from the botanical garden structures, I took note of the beautifully arranged tulip gardens outside. Gazing at all of those spectacularly colorful flowers in full bloom really added to the park's aesthetic appeal. I entered through a courtyard area, where there were places to sit surrounding a peaceful looking fountain. I found a tiny women's bathroom, came out, and surveyed the architecture, which had a distinctly Middle Eastern appeal. It was kind of enchanting.

My husband and I climbed a steep hill and soon found ourselves on the way to seeing the zoo's most popular exhibit, the polar bears. Last December, Wilhelma celebrated the birth of Wilbar, the zoo's baby polar bear and star attraction. After having spent most of his life inside, the bear just started making public appearances. There was a long line to view him up close, so we opted to walk around and check out the other animals.

I was surprised by just how many animals Wilhelma has. We saw everything from common deer and burros to rare Mongolian wild horses (Przewalski's) and Asian asses. There were lions, tigers, elephants, and monkeys, of course, but there was also an insect house. I don't think I've ever seen an insect house at a zoo! Wilhelma also has a lot of birds, everything from vultures to parrots, as well as an impressive reptile and aquarium area. If you like sea lions, you're in luck Wilhelma has a nice big sea lion area that is obviously very popular with kids, based on how many were standing by watching the animals' playful antics.

For kids, there's a great petting zoo area, where they can pet and feed placid goats food from a vending machine. There are also some very gentle, sweet donkeys who stand at the fence and patiently hang their heads over the top rail so patrons can pet them. I really wanted to get a good picture of the friendly donkeys, but was crowded out by eager kids! Anyway, we hung out for a long while in this area, because I happen to love all things even remotely related to horses.

Wear comfortable shoes! You will be walking a lot... uphill!

One thing to know about Wilhelma is that walking around it can be a challenge, especially for those who are disabled or in poor physical shape. To see some of the most popular exhibits, one must be able to negotiate very steep hills. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Also, the zoo is laid out in such a way that visitors end up doing a lot of backtracking in order to see everything. By the time we were finished walking around a few hours later, my husband and I were both pretty tired.

Wilhelma does have places to rest. In fact, I saw a lot of signs advertising grassy areas where visitors could sunbathe. The zoo also has plenty of refreshment stands and a restaurant available. My husband and I chose not to sample the food at the zoo. By the time we had walked around the whole place, we were both keen to go somewhere less crowded.

More things to know

Most of the signs at Wilhelma are in German, though I did see some that had English translation. The zoo offers free magazines, also in German, but there is no map of the facility. You really have to follow the crowds and look for the signs to find the exhibits you want to see most.

Overall

I enjoyed my visit to Wilhelma. I would visit again, though now I'm curious about other German zoos. If you're visiting Stuttgart and have some time to kill, Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Park is a good bet for a fun time!