IllustrationCome to Gera’s woodland zoo for a day of animals, little trains and play beneath the trees.
Come to Gera’s woodland zoo for a day of animals, little trains and play beneath the trees. Tierpark Gera spreads over about 20 hectares of the Martinsgrund in the city forest. Start by checking the feeding board and railway departures, then choose a few animals you would especially like to see. There is plenty to fill a half-day without hurrying from enclosure to enclosure.
The Affenwald is a good place to slow down. You can enter the Barbary macaques’ walk-through enclosure and watch the group from the visitor path. Give them space and notice what they are doing: sitting together, moving through the enclosure or investigating their surroundings. Elsewhere, the collection ranges from moose and reindeer to lions, owls and Bennett’s wallabies. At the little Bauernhof, domestic animals bring a different kind of interest, with supervised pony-care sessions among the family activities.
Keep some energy for the Klimagarten between the lion and lynx enclosures. Opened in May 2026, it combines trial planting for a warmer, drier climate with a pond, climbing and balancing features, water play and an 18-metre slide. Children can enjoy the play area while older visitors explore how soil and plants respond to changing conditions. It is an appealing place to pause before returning to an enclosure where an animal was hiding earlier. Unlock an interactive field guide for this spot: get the Snappit app to identify nature on the go.
The zoo began in 1962 with mouflon, roe deer and red deer in the Martinsgrund. Its railway opened on 6 September 1975 as a Pioniereisenbahn and took the name Parkeisenbahn in 1990. Young people still learn railway duties under experienced adult supervision, so watching the station staff at work is part of the attraction. The Klimagarten, opened in 2026, adds a new chapter focused on adapting urban planting to climate change.
Use the numbered park plan to choose your own walk. A shorter visit might focus on the Bauernhof, wallabies and Affenwald; a longer one can add the lions, Klimagarten and the deer, moose and owl enclosures.
If trains are a priority, check the Parkeisenbahn before walking far into the grounds. Its 0.8-kilometre line connects Martinsgrund and Wolfsgehege stations, with a separate fare for each journey. For animal activity, consider the afternoon pony-care session followed by the macaque feeding. Lion show feedings take place on selected days. Confirm the day’s programme at the entrance.
The zoo opens daily from 09: 00, with shorter winter hours; last admission is 45 minutes before closing. The railway and kiosk have separate seasonal schedules. Building work at the Martinsgrund/Dahliengarten entrance began on 14 September 2026, with access maintained during construction. The old rabbit petting enclosure and ornamental aviary were removed in September 2026: rabbits moved to the Bauernhof, while budgerigars and other ornamental birds moved behind the scenes. Check the zoo’s current notices before travelling, especially if you have an older park plan.
The city lists an accessible entrance, and the park plan marks a toilet with an accessible WC and baby-changing facilities. It does not establish that every path, walk-through enclosure or railway carriage suits every visitor. For a wheelchair, pushchair or limited walking range, call +49 365 810127 to discuss entrances, surfaces, gradients and the viewing points you need, particularly during the entrance works. Audio information can be opened by scanning QR codes on animal signs with your phone.
Watching Barbary macaques in the walk-through Affenwald
A ride between Martinsgrund and Wolfsgehege on the park railway
The Klimagarten’s water play, climbing features and 18-metre slide
Moose, owls and a pause with the Bauernhof’s domestic animals
With the plan in hand, link the Bauernhof and wallaby area with the Affenwald, then decide whether to continue to the lions and Klimagarten. Add the moose and deer enclosures if everyone still wants to walk. Follow the paths and signs on site.
Check departures on arrival, then fit a one-way railway ride around your animal stops. Keep the afternoon flexible for the farm or macaque programme, and finish with whichever enclosure the family wants to revisit. Leave enough time to walk back if trains stop running.
Scan one animal sign’s QR code and listen to its audio information with headphones. Then put the phone away and see which detail you can notice in the enclosure. Let children choose the next sign.
The published daily pony-care session starts at 14:00 at the Bauernhof, followed by macaque feeding from 14:30 to 15:00. Lion show feeding is listed for 11:30 on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Check for changes when you arrive.
Watch quietly from the path for grooming, resting or movement through the group. The afternoon keeper feeding is another opportunity to observe; it is not an invitation to approach or touch the macaques.
Check the public feeding days if you want to plan this stop around keeper activity. At other times, allow for a resting animal or an empty-looking view and try again later.
Look carefully into the planted enclosure and at the raised resting places. A still animal can be easy to overlook. Keep your voice low and leave a hidden lynx undisturbed.
Pause to study an animal’s outline and the way it moves, rather than looking only for antlers. Take a second look if the enclosure seems empty on your first pass.
Use the enclosure sign to get to know the reindeer, then compare their shape with the moose later in your walk. Watch from the public path without calling them towards you.
Move slowly through the walk-through and give animals room to cross or rest. Waiting in one place can be more rewarding than following a wallaby as it moves away.
Keep to the marked route through the deer enclosure. Try watching one animal for a little while, then widen your view to see where the rest of the group is resting.
Compare the deer here with the fallow deer rather than treating every deer enclosure as the same stop. Let the animals’ position decide whether you watch now or return later.
Spend a quiet minute looking for a perched owl before moving on. If it is in view, study the face and feather pattern without trying to provoke a reaction.
Look for a resting bird as well as movement. Compare its plumage with the great grey owl elsewhere in the park; avoid tapping, calling or making noises for a photograph.
The alpacas share a mapped area with domestic goats. From the visitor side, notice how the animals use the space. Any closer encounter belongs to an arranged, staff-led activity.
These are animals in human care, including domestic alpacas. The suggestions are for watching from public visitor areas, not records of wild sightings. Individual animals may be out of view.
The Klimagarten tests 45 kinds of trees and plants, including local and climate-adapted species from elsewhere. Sensors and displays help explain changing growing conditions. Look at the different ground materials and consider which might heat up most on a sunny day.
The map marks a kiosk, a toilet with baby-changing and accessible facilities, and a separate seasonal toilet. Ask which facilities are open during your visit. Picnic places make bringing lunch practical, especially outside the kiosk season.
Use Dahliengarten/Tierpark as the stop name in the GVB journey planner. Bus 17 links it with Heinrichstraße and Südbahnhof. Allow for the onward walk to your chosen ticket office and check the return journey before leaving home.
Ask staff to suggest a manageable selection of enclosures rather than assuming you need to complete the whole park. If the train is important to your plan, ask separately about boarding and carriage space; the public timetable gives no detailed wheelchair-access specification.
Each card links to a full Explore page with photos, traits, and fun facts.
Start with the big picture, then zoom in to explore individual wildlife observations around this place.
Getting there
The address is Straße des Friedens 85, 07548 Gera. For public transport, plan to Dahliengarten/Tierpark; GVB bus 17 serves the stop via Heinrichstraße. Check current timetables and disruption notices.
Choose your entrance
The plan shows ticket offices by Straße des Friedens and at Martinsgrund/Dahliengarten, plus an exit-only gate. Follow current construction signs. Parking carries a charge; check the posted conditions.
Pack for play
Bring spare clothes if children will use the water-play area, and shoes comfortable for an outdoor zoo walk. Follow equipment notices and supervise children around the pond.
Food break
A seasonal kiosk and several picnic places are available. Bring a picnic if you need to eat at a particular time rather than depending on the kiosk being open.
Animal manners
Bring no food for the animals. Use only suitable feed sold by the zoo, and only where enclosure signs and staff allow it. Stay on the marked visitor paths in walk-throughs.
Dogs and wheels
Dogs are allowed on a short lead and need their own admission ticket. Ask about any enclosure restrictions. Bicycles, scooters and other sports equipment cannot be used in the zoo; parking places are provided at the entrances.
Tickets
Compare the two family-ticket options with individual admission. Train rides cost extra. Special events can have different entry conditions and prices, so check before using an annual pass.
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.
North Carolina, US
You might spot American Robin and Eastern Gray Squirrel.
View guide →
Florida, US
You might spot Anhinga, American Alligator, and Wood Duck.
View guide →
New Mexico, US
You might spot Wood Duck, Duck, and Canada Goose.
View guide →
Michigan, US
You might spot African Lion, Komodo Dragon, and Brown Bear.
View guide →
Take the discovery with you
Identify the wildlife you spot, learn as you go, and keep a collection of the adventure.
