Should we book tickets for a particular day?

Standard online day tickets do not require a fixed date and can be shown on a phone or printed. Check the current price page for family tickets and concessions, including the VGN-ticket concession.

Can we bring food for the animals?

Do not bring animal food or offer picnic scraps. Follow the enclosure notices and staff instructions, and never try to attract an animal by tapping, throwing things or reaching through a barrier.

Is this a good rainy-day destination?

Treat it mainly as an outdoor outing. In light rain, shorten the walk and bring waterproofs and footwear with grip. In persistent rain, reconsider the longer slopes; check restaurant opening before relying on a sheltered break.

Can we enter all the animal areas?

Stay on visitor paths and use only areas explicitly open to visitors. Free-roaming park animals should be watched without touching or following them; a closed walk-through enclosure is not an invitation to find another way in.

Illustration

ZooBayern, Germany

Wildpark Hundshaupten

Come to Wildpark Hundshaupten for a woodland walk that brings you face to face with European wildlife among striking rocks and steep, tree-covered slopes.

Official website

About

Come to Wildpark Hundshaupten for a woodland walk that brings you face to face with European wildlife among striking rocks and steep, tree-covered slopes. Start at the entrance map and choose a circuit before the children choose their first animal. The hills matter here: a short distance can still mean a substantial climb.

Streams, meadows and old trees give the park much of its character. Wolves and lynx are tempting headline stops, but leave time for the moose, reindeer and mountain animals too. These are animals in human care; seeing them here does not mean you have spotted a wild population in the surrounding countryside. A quiet pause at an enclosure is often more rewarding than trying to tick off every resident.

The collection also includes threatened domestic breeds, making this a useful place to talk about why conservation includes farm animals. The park supports projects involving European bison, Ural owls and fire salamanders, alongside work on old fruit varieties. You can keep the day simple with animal watching and a playground break, or turn it into a longer hill walk with a viewpoint. Don't forget to bring the Snappit nature identification app along to scan local species.

Gudila von Pölnitz opened the wildlife park in 1971 on steep woodland that was difficult to use for forestry. Red and fallow deer were its early residents. In 1991 she gave the park to the district of Forchheim, which still runs it. The wooded terrain explains both the park's distinctive atmosphere and the continuing effort to make its paths easier to use.

What to do here

For a first family visit, follow the yellow Naturlehrpfad / Kleiner Rundweg, 1.4 km. It is the gentler circuit, with the lower animal areas and reindeer exhibition. Stronger walkers can choose the green Rundweg zum Breitenstein, 2.4 km, for the viewpoint and wolf-and-lynx area, or the red Wildschleife, 2.7 km, for the deer side of the park. These are alternative signed loops; their distances should not be added together as a ready-made itinerary.

Give children a small observation challenge. At the chamois, look for the hooked horn tips; at the reindeer, discuss the surprising fact that females can grow antlers too. With lynx, compare visible coat markings rather than trying to make a resting animal move. Let everyone choose one animal to watch for a few unhurried minutes.

The entrance playground makes an easy break. Check the day's programme for keeper-led predator feedings, which have their own meeting point at the lynx pavilion. Bird-of-prey demonstrations run on announced dates, so don't build the day around an assumed daily show. Families wanting a booked activity can enquire about nature-detective sessions, animal-enrichment crafts or the wool workshop.

Seasonal info

The dwarf-goat walk-through area may close during the young-animal season, usually March–June. Accessibility works can also cause temporary path closures and noise. A new valley bridge project began in September 2026; check current notices rather than assuming the planned connection is open. Storms or other extreme weather can close the park at short notice.

Accessibility

The entrance, restaurant and pond-to-reindeer section are designed for barrier-free access. The yellow circuit is the less demanding option, but it still changes height; the other loops are considerably steeper. Ask staff which current route suits your wheelchair, pushchair or walking aid. Accessible toilets are at the entrance and near the bird-of-prey meadow, although reaching the meadow involves a steep approach. The snowy-owl toilet has a steep access ramp. Baby-changing facilities are available at all three toilet stations.

Plan your visit

Suggested duration: Allow about 1½–2 hours for a selective visit around the gentler circuit, or 3–4 hours for a longer loop, animal-watching stops and a meal or playground break. Treat these as flexible family estimates; extra routes or booked activities need more time.
Best time to visit: A dry day is the easiest choice for enjoying the slopes and stopping comfortably at enclosures. Arrive early enough to leave room for rests. The park normally opens daily throughout the year, but winter hours are shorter and last admission is an hour before closing.
Location: Bayern, Germany
Species in this guide: 8

Best for

Families Who Enjoy Animals And WalkingPatient Wildlife Photography In A Managed CollectionChildren Interested In Horns, Antlers And Animal BehaviourA Half Day Outing In Franconian Switzerland

Official website

Don't miss

Woodland predators

Make time for the wolves and lynx, with patient, quiet watching.

Breitenstein viewpoint

Add a rocky landscape stop if your group is comfortable with the hillier circuit.

Reindeer and moose

Compare two very different northern deer species.

A family-sized first loop

The yellow circuit combines animal stops with the lower park areas.

Walks and routes

Naturlehrpfad / Kleiner Rundweg

Rundweg zum Breitenstein

Rundweg Wildschleife

A flexible family visit

Choose your loop at the entrance, then let one or two favourite animals set the pace. Leave a rest break between sections and keep enough time for the walk back. This is a suggested way to use the signed paths, not an additional marked trail.

Things to try

Make a tiny field notebook

Choose three residents. For each, draw one feature you can actually see and write down one behaviour. Compare your notes at the end: did everyone notice the same things?

Wildlife and habitats

Pause and scan the enclosure slowly for the lynx. If one is visible, look at its coat pattern: each individual has a different arrangement of markings. A resting cat is worth watching without trying to wake it.

Look for the wolves from the public viewing area and give them space to rest. Howling is communication between wolves, so hearing it would be a bonus rather than something to provoke or expect.

Find the European bison and watch how the animals position themselves in relation to one another. This is a herd-living species, although older bulls can be solitary. Wait for a clear view without crowding the barrier.

Watch the moose for a moment before taking a photograph. Think about the leaves and shoots it eats and the wet woodland habitats it uses in the wild. The animals here belong to the park collection.

At the ibex enclosure, look across the rocks and watch how an animal places its feet if it starts to move. Give yourself time to observe without expecting a climbing display.

Try to pick out the hooked tips of the chamois horns. Unlike antlers, these horns are retained rather than shed. A clear side view is more useful for this little challenge than the closest possible photograph.

At the reindeer enclosure, see whether you can make out any antlers. Females can carry them too, so antlers alone do not tell you an animal is male.

Find the snowy owl in its aviary and compare the enclosure surroundings with the open tundra of its natural habitat. Let it stay still if it chooses: a quiet observation is a successful stop.

Getting there and practical advice

The entrance playground includes a section that wheelchairs can use. Benches are distributed around the park. Ask at the entrance about the handcart hire charge and refundable deposit.

If the planner offers Hundshaupten Mitte rather than the Wildpark stop, check the walk between the village and park before choosing that journey. The park describes a linking footpath, but it should not be assumed to be step-free.

Sources and useful links

Wildlife you might spot

Each card links to a full Explore page with photos, traits, and fun facts.

European Lynx

Gray Wolf

European Bison

Moose

Alpine Ibex

Chamois

Caribou

Snowy Owl

Snap map for this place

Start with the big picture, then zoom in to explore individual wildlife observations around this place.

Loading map…

Good to know before you go

Arrival

Use Hundshaupten 62, 91349 Egloffstein. Follow signs to the visitor parking areas.

By public transport

VGN bus 235 links Ebermannstadt station with the park. The seasonal Wildpark-Express runs on weekends and public holidays from May to early November; plan both journeys in advance.

Weekday buses

Some journeys are demand-responsive or school-day services. Check booking requirements and the exact stop before setting out.

Lunch money

Bring cash for the Wildpark-Schänke; it does not accept cards. Winter service is limited to weekends, public holidays and Bavarian school holidays.

Picnic stops

Eat your own food in the designated rest areas and keep leftovers away from animals.

Small wheels

Leave balance bikes and scooters at home. Handcarts can be hired at the entrance, but the hills still need pulling power.

Dogs

Admission is charged. Keep your dog on a short lead; dogs cannot enter walk-through enclosures or playgrounds.

Before travelling

Check opening hours, construction notices and the event calendar on the official website.

Frequently asked questions

: Standard online day tickets do not require a fixed date and can be shown on a phone or printed. Check the current price page for family tickets and concessions, including the VGN-ticket concession.
: Do not bring animal food or offer picnic scraps. Follow the enclosure notices and staff instructions, and never try to attract an animal by tapping, throwing things or reaching through a barrier.
: Treat it mainly as an outdoor outing. In light rain, shorten the walk and bring waterproofs and footwear with grip. In persistent rain, reconsider the longer slopes; check restaurant opening before relying on a sheltered break.
: Stay on visitor paths and use only areas explicitly open to visitors. Free-roaming park animals should be watched without touching or following them; a closed walk-through enclosure is not an invitation to find another way in.