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Woodland and Wildlife at the
Wildnispark Zurich
Have you ever visited the Wildnispark Zurich? Just outside the city at Langnau am Albis, it’s a wildlife park open to the public and located in the Sihl Valley. Here you can see brown bears, elks, wild boar and even wolves as well as many other wild animals in their natural environment, roaming freely across the forest.
The Wildnispark consists of two areas – the Sihlwald Forest, a forest of both mixed deciduous and coniferous trees, and the Langenberg Wildlife Park. The Langenberg Wildlife Park is in fact the oldest Swiss wildlife park. Both centres are open 24 x 7, 365 days a year and entry is free of charge.
At the Zurich Wilderness Park you can observe various species of wildlife and in the Sihlwald you can walk round the forest adventure trail all year round – although please note that the Sihlwald Visitor centre is closed during the Winter.
A popular destination, especially for families and children, the park attracts more than half a million visitors per year. You can hike, cycle and ride horseback through the park. There is a museum to visit, a shop run by volunteers and many outdoor activities and you can even barbecue there too. If you really want to you can also camp at the Sihlwald Camping site in the park which is open in the Summer.
The Sihlwald was a gift to the city of Zurich by the Hapsburgs in 1309 and the Langenberg Wildlife Park was founded by city forester Carl Anton Ludwig von Orelli in 1869. In 2009 both merged together to form the current Zürich Wilderness Park.
All photos by Carmen Sirboiu
Wildnispark Zurich
Address: 8135 Langnau am Albis
Cost: Free
Tel: 044 722 55 22
Opening Hours: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (except for Visitor Centre which is closed in Winter)
Opening Hours for Langenberg West & Wildcat House:
April to October
Daily 8am – 7pm
November to March
Daily 8am – 4pm
Opening Hours for walk-in wild Boar Enclosure:
Daily 8am – 4pm
Admission to the Nature Museum & Costs
There is a small fee to go to the visitor centre and the nature museum (please check the website for exact pricing and opening hours).
Parking Charges
There is a flat fee for parking which is valid for 24 hours of CHF 10 at Langenberg and CHF 5 at Sihlwald (although for CHF 100 you can buy an annual parking ticket for Langenberg and Sihlwald).
All the parking fees go directly to the Zurich Wilderness Park Foundation to pay for the animals’ feed and to maintain the enclosures and visitor facilities.
Please note all prices correct at time of writing.
Visit the Wildnispark Zurich Website
See the Park on Google Maps:
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