Schonbrunn Zoo

Tiergarten Schonbrunn began as an imperial menagerie in 1752, commissioned by Francis Stephen, Maria Theresa's husband, and it has been open continuously ever since, which makes it the oldest zoo in the world still operating. What makes it special is how gracefully that history and a modern zoo sit together. At its heart is the octagonal Imperial Pavilion of 1759, where the court took breakfast while watching the animals, and the original enclosures radiate out from it like the spokes of a wheel, now rebuilt behind their Baroque facades as spacious modern habitats. Around this core, the zoo climbs the wooded slopes of the palace park towards the Tyrolean Garden, with a series of larger themed areas: an elephant park, a giraffe house, a big-cat area, an orang-utan enclosure, a polar house where polar bears, penguins and seals swim past underwater windows, a large rainforest house with free-roaming birds and bats in tropical heat, and an aquarium and terrarium house with sharks, rays and crocodiles. The zoo's most famous residents are its giant pandas: after Vienna's long-time pandas returned to China, a new pair arrived, and the panda enclosure is again one of the busiest corners of the park. Schonbrunn is consistently rated among the best zoos in Europe, and its research, breeding and conservation programmes are taken seriously. It is open every day of the year, with opening hours that change with the seasons, longer in summer and shorter in winter. Because the zoo lies within the palace grounds, it pairs perfectly with a palace visit: tour the state rooms in the morning, walk through the free gardens and spend the afternoon with the animals.

How to visit: there are several entrances. The main Hietzing gate is closest to the Hietzing U4 station, while the Neptune gate opens from inside the palace park, which is handy if you have just seen the palace, and an upper entrance near the Tyrolean Garden serves walkers coming from the Gloriette side. Buy tickets online to skip the queue, especially at weekends and on school holidays, when the zoo is one of the most visited attractions in Austria. Allow at least three hours; a full day is easy with children. The grounds are hilly in the upper sections, so bring comfortable shoes, and a pushchair copes but will need some pushing.

Getting the most from it: arrive at opening time and head first for the pandas and the polar house, which are busiest later in the day. Check the daily programme of feedings and keeper talks posted at the entrances; they are free and give structure to a family visit. The rainforest house is warm and humid, so leave coats in the lockers or carry them. The Imperial Pavilion is now a cafe and restaurant and a lovely place to sit down in a historic setting, and there are kiosks and picnic spots around the grounds. In cold weather the indoor houses, the aquarium and the polar house keep the visit pleasant, and quieter winter days can be the best for seeing animals up close.

Who it suits: families above all, but also anyone who loves animals or wants a gentler afternoon after the palace. Combination tickets that pair the zoo with the palace, the Panorama train through the park or other Vienna attractions are available and can save money. The palace gardens around the zoo are free to walk, the Gloriette is a short climb above it, and the Palm House next door is a beautiful Victorian-era glasshouse for plant lovers.