Blijdorp Zoo

With over a million visitors every year, Blijdorp Zoo is one of the most popular attractions in the Netherlands.

This zoo was built between 1937 and 1941 based on a design by Sybold van Ravensteyn.

Blijdorp has made significant improvements in recent years to enhance the well-being of the animals. For example, there’s a covered garden where only elephants, tapirs, and Indian rhinoceroses live, as well as a Malay Forest with gibbons and babirusas. They’ve also created a heated island specifically for the gorillas.

The zoo is home to tigers, giraffes, snakes, polar bears, vultures, hyenas, pandas, lions, and various amphibians.

One of the zoo’s main attractions is the Oceanium. It’s an underwater world with over 45 million liters of seawater, featuring sea lions, penguins, sharks, leopards, starfish, jellyfish, sea otters, and tropical fish. There’s also a biology laboratory in the same building.

There’s a tropical pavilion with large butterflies, as well as several play areas throughout the zoo. They also organize birthday parties and other activities for groups.

There’s an entrance fee, but Rotterdampas cardholders pay 5 euros on their first visit and receive a discount on subsequent visits.

Here’s a map of Blijdorp Zoo in Dutch.

Blijdorp Zoo. Van Aerssenlaan 48. Tram number 3.

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