ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo

ARTIS is not just a zoo but a nineteenth-century garden in the middle of the city, and that is what makes it special. It was founded in 1838 by a society called Natura Artis Magistra, nature is the teacher of art, which still gives the zoo its name, and it grew up in the Plantage, a district of gardens and villas just east of the old centre. Unlike most modern zoos, ARTIS sits within the city, with canals on its edges and grand old buildings among the enclosures, and the grounds are full of huge, venerable trees that make a walk here pleasant in any season. The animal collection covers big cats, great apes, elephants, giraffes, sea lions, flamingos, reptiles and much more, and the zoo has steadily been rebuilding its enclosures to give animals more natural, mixed habitats. Several historic buildings are highlights in their own right. The aquarium, in a grand building from the 1880s, shows freshwater and marine life, including a section on what lives in the Amsterdam canals; the planetarium runs shows under its dome; and the butterfly pavilion is a warm escape on a grey day. At the main entrance stands Micropia, opened in 2014 as the world's first museum devoted to microbes, the invisible life all around and inside us; it is far more engaging than it sounds and works brilliantly with older children. ARTIS is also a research and education institution, with a historic library and collections. Allow most of a day if you want to see everything without rushing.

Why go: for families it is the obvious half-day out in Amsterdam, but adults visiting alone often enjoy it just as much for the gardens, the architecture and the sense of an old city institution. Because it is compact and full of paths and corners, it never feels like a theme park, and the mix of animals, trees, historic buildings and small museums means there is always something new around the next bend. The zoo has put real effort into explaining its conservation work and into rethinking the old cages, and the newer habitats are some of the most attractive in any city zoo. Check what your ticket covers before you go, because Micropia and some programmes may be bundled or priced separately.

Visiting well: ARTIS is open every day of the year, with longer hours in summer. Book online to skip the ticket queue, and arrive at opening for the most active animals and the quietest paths. Feeding times and talks are posted at the entrance and in the app; plan your route around a couple of them. Restaurants and kiosks are spread around the park, and there are good spots to picnic. Paths are flat and buggy-friendly. Rainy days are fine, thanks to the aquarium, planetarium, butterfly house and Micropia, but a sunny spring or autumn day under the old trees is the ideal visit.

Around ARTIS: the Plantage is one of the calmest and greenest districts in central Amsterdam. The Hortus Botanicus, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, is a few minutes' walk away; the Dutch Resistance Museum is across the street; and the Jewish Cultural Quarter and the Rembrandt House lie just to the west. Trams stop right outside the main entrance, and the walk from the Waterlooplein takes about ten minutes. Families can continue to NEMO and the Maritime Museum, about fifteen minutes north on foot, for a full day of museums in the eastern part of the city.