Schönbrunn Zoo: the world's oldest zoo
"It will be expensive, but it gives me pleasure" – so an emperor is said to have written about the menagerie he had laid out in the palace park in 1752. A family outing to pandas, giraffes and a little history.
An imperial menagerie
Emperor Francis I Stephen, husband of Maria Theresa, had a menagerie laid out in the park of Schönbrunn Palace in 1752 – Schönbrunn Zoo is now regarded as the oldest zoo still in existence. It was planned with the architect Jean Nicolas Jadot: an octagonal Imperial Pavilion stands at the centre, with the enclosures radiating out from it. The layout survives to this day. The imperial family used to breakfast in the pavilion – today it is a café.
The first residents were mainly birds, which were easier to transport. The emperor supposedly did not want predators: they smelled unpleasant.
The giraffe that drove Vienna wild
In 1828 the first giraffe arrived at Schönbrunn as a gift from the Viceroy of Egypt – after a journey of several months, much of it on foot. Vienna was gripped by giraffe fever: dresses, hairstyles, jewellery and pastries "à la giraffe" came into fashion. The giraffe house from that time is still in use, modernised for its residents.
Tips for visiting with children
- Start your tour at the Imperial Pavilion: this is where the Baroque layout is easiest to see.
- Allow half a day or more for a good part of the grounds; there are plenty of slopes up towards the Tirolergarten.
- Feeding times, opening hours and tickets vary with the season – please check the zoo's website before you go.
- The visit combines well with a walk through the palace park.
This article is based on "Зоопарк счастливых зверей" ("The zoo of happy animals") by Ekaterina Kozerchuk-Pisnyachevskaya in Code 43 magazine, summer 2014, and has been newly edited for code43.at.