Zoo Zurich

Zoo Zurich, high on the Zuerichberg above the city, is one of the most ambitious zoos in Europe and one of the best family days in Switzerland. Founded in 1929, it has spent the past two decades rebuilding itself around large, immersive habitats that recreate whole landscapes rather than cages, and its flagship is the Masoala Rainforest: a huge greenhouse hall that recreates a piece of the rainforest of north-eastern Madagascar, with real tropical trees, a waterfall, a lake and free-roaming animals — red ruffed lemurs, chameleons, fruit bats, tortoises and birds — that you look for along a winding path through warm, humid air. On a grey Zurich winter day, stepping into the Masoala is like flying south. The Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park, named after a national park in Thailand, gives the zoo's Asian elephants indoor and outdoor areas with pools, under a remarkable latticed timber roof that lets in daylight; you can watch the elephants swim from an underwater window. The Lewa Savanna, modelled on a Kenyan conservancy, brings together giraffes, rhinos, zebras and antelopes on an open grassland, with a lodge-style viewing area. Elsewhere there are snow leopards and other big cats in the Panthera area, great apes, penguins with indoor and outdoor areas, seals, an Australia section and a newer Pantanal aviary for South American birds. The zoo links each habitat to a conservation project in the wild, especially in Masoala National Park in Madagascar, and the signs explain them clearly. Feeding sessions and keeper presentations run through the day and are listed on the zoo website. The zoo is open every day of the year: from November to February from 9am to 5pm, with the Masoala hall from 10am to 5pm, and longer hours from March to October. It is a big site on a hillside, with plenty of walking up and down, so comfortable shoes matter. Getting there is easy: tram 6 runs from the main station to the Zoo stop at the end of the line.

How to plan the day: arrive at opening, start with the elephants and the Lewa Savanna while the animals are active, and save the Masoala Rainforest for the middle of the day, when it opens and the temperature inside is at its most tropical; take off your coat before going in, as glasses fog and layers become heavy. Check the day's feeding and presentation times at the entrance and build the route around two or three of them. Allow at least four hours; families often stay all day. There are restaurants and kiosks across the site, including a restaurant inside the Masoala with views over the canopy, and picnic spots for those bringing lunch, which saves money in an expensive city.

Practical details: buy tickets online to skip the queue at the gate. A long-term building programme for the zoo of the future is under way, so some paths may be diverted around construction. Strollers are fine on most paths, though the hills are steep in places, and wheelchairs can be hired. The Dolder area nearby has forest walks, and in winter the Dolder ice rink is close by for families who want to skate.

Who it suits: families above all, but also anyone who enjoys wildlife, photography or conservation stories. The Masoala alone is worth the trip on a rainy or cold day. Combine it with the FIFA Museum or the Swiss National Museum for a rain-proof Zurich day with children.