A History of Vienna's Tiergarten Schönbrunn, the World's Oldest Zoo
The Tiergarten Schönbrunn is one of the surviving relics from Austria’s Imperial days and was the first of its kind to capture exotic beasts in order to present them to the public for entertainment.
An Imperial Menagerie
The conception of Vienna Zoo first came about when Emperor Franz Stephan I ordered the construction of a menagerie, with the intention of it being used exclusively by members of the royal family. Construction began in 1782, next door to the Imperial Summer residence, Schönbrunn Palace. In later years, when the public had been granted admission—with the request of the Emperor that they wore appropriate attire when attending—the zoo had assembled a colorful collection of birds and monkies. Many of the original cages are still in existence on the site of the modern zoo, including the shockingly small lion enclosures that, thankfully, are no longer in use.
World War II had a huge impact on the Tiergarten Schonbrunn. Bombs devastated the site, resulting in the deaths of many of the animals, drastically reducing the collection to around 300 creatures.
Dark Past
The zoo’s past is shrouded in tragedy, with two deaths of staff members caused by animals in the past 15 years. In 2002, a female zookeeper was mauled while feeding the jaguars and the incident was witnessed by crowds of horrified guests. Three years later, the zoo was hit with adversity again when a keeper, Gerd Kohl, was showering an elephant in his enclosure when the animal attacked him, crushing him to death in front of spectators.
Keeping animals in captivity is a controversial topic that has long sparked fierce debate, and the Tiergarten has been frequently criticized by animal activists who question the zoo’s claims to work on conservation projects. Despite these concerns, the zoo continues to draw millions of visitors from around the world every year.
The Zoo in Modern Times
Today, Vienna Zoo has a strong reputation for its extensive and thriving collection of exotic animals, including polar bears, lions, tigers, and wolves. Features of the modern site include an aquarium, desert house, rainforest house, polarium, and bird pavilion.
Baby pandas, on loan from China, are among some of the zoo’s recent additions. Many were surprised at their births, as it is notoriously difficult to persuade Giant Pandas to breed in captivity.
KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
Culture Trip Spring Sale
Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.
