Animals

Berlin's first cat café is located in Neukölln's Körnerkiez and offers perhaps the most relaxed remedy for any gloomy morning after. Organic homemade cakes, strong coffee, and three cats setting the pace - here, Skadi, Ylvi, and Odin call the shots.

At Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde in Lichtenberg, you can adopt almost any animal species. The money goes directly to the care of the animals, and the recipients receive a personal adoption certificate.

Peacock Island in the Havel near Wannsee is only accessible by ferry, a connection that has existed since 1821. On 67 hectares of UNESCO World Heritage, there are around 400 old oak trees, the white pleasure palace from 1794, and Berlin's oldest rose garden, with peacocks roaming freely in between. As an autumn excursion in Berlin, this means: golden foliage, water all around, and hardly any traffic noise.

When the weather is good, a visit to the animal park in Friedrichsfelde is good fun for the whole family.

Anyone who wants to experience a real safari adventure with children will find one of the region's most charming destinations in Nedlitz near Gommern: Straußenland Nedlitz. On five hectares of pasture, the world's largest birds live here and can be petted, fed, and admired.

Only an hour's drive from Berlin, the Wildlife Park Schorfheide is located in the middle of the woods. Right beside the wildlife park, visitors will also find a climbing park.

The Werderaner Tannenhof in Werder (Havel) is an adventure farm on a 60-hectare fir tree plantation, attracting families from Berlin and Brandenburg year-round with animals, sports, and seasonal events in the forest. From a petting zoo to alpaca hikes and a mini-golf course among fir trees: there's something for every age here.

A holiday activity that is fun in any weather and offers an eventful family outing – SEA LIFE near Alexanderplatz.

In Dahlem, where the southwest of Berlin almost feels like a village, Domäne Dahlem has been practicing real agriculture and animal husbandry for centuries, now as a recognized Bioland organic farm with an open-air museum. Here, children experience agriculture up close in a way hardly anyone would expect in a city of millions. The farm is even easily accessible by subway.

Twelve hectares in size, traversed by the Panke river, and public since 1907: Bürgerpark Pankow is the district's largest green space, showcasing botanical rarities like the bald cypress and tulip tree among oaks and beeches. In summer, the rose garden with its sandstone pergola, the splash pad, and the goat enclosure attract visitors.

Zoo Berlin on Hardenbergplatz opened on August 1, 1844, as Germany's first zoo and is now home to around 20,000 animals from nearly 1,200 species, making it the most species-rich zoo in the world. Its most famous residents are the pandas Leni and Lotti, and next door, the listed Berlin Aquarium has reopened after three years of renovation.

After three years of modernization, the Aquarium Berlin at the Zoological Garden reopened in August 2026. New features include interactive tables and animals like the inland taipan, while the walk-through crocodile hall and one of the world's largest jellyfish breeding facilities remain. For gloomy autumn days in Berlin, this means tropical warmth and sharks, daily from 9 AM to 6 PM.

The DogCoach Institute has been operating in Detmolder Straße in Wilmersdorf since 2002, offering: individual one-on-one training, courses from basic obedience to mantrailing, trainer education, and therapy dog teams. Founder Enrico Lombardi also conducts the temperament test for Berlin and Brandenburg.

Red strawberries, tractor ride, and over 60 attractions: Karls Adventure Village in Elstal near Wustermark, directly in Havelland, is probably the most famous family excursion destination in the Berlin 'Speckgürtel' (commuter belt). From the free petting zoo to the large indoor play area, the adventure farm turns a simple day trip to Brandenburg into a whole adventure camp.

The Zoologischer Garten on Hardenbergplatz takes birthday groups on a ninety minute guided round in a version made for five and six year olds, to lions, elephants and penguins, with animal facts, riddles and games. The guided round costs a flat 75 euros for up to twelve people, and the birthday child itself gets in free of charge.

On the trotting track in Karlshorst, opened in 1894 and with a twelve hundred metre course, children celebrate for three and a half hours between stable and race track: cake and cocoa first, then stroking and feeding the horses, one led ride each and games in the straw, and at the end a buffet laid out just for the children.

Spanning 90 hectares in southern Neukölln, Britzer Garten offers everything you'd leave Berlin for on a beautiful day, without actually leaving the city: blooming theme gardens, an artificially created lake, expansive sunbathing lawns, and a lively event program that carries through the entire summer.

In Münchehofe, Brandenburg, in the heart of the Dahme-Heideseen Nature Park, an organic dairy literally shows how milk, butter, and cheese are made. Families can watch the ongoing production through glass walls. Located about 70 km south of Berlin, this excursion destination combines curiosity and fresh air on one site.

Zoo, amusement park, and dinosaur park all in one: The Eicholz Animal and Leisure Park in the Germendorf district near Oranienburg is one of Brandenburg's most versatile family excursion destinations. On nearly 70 hectares of lake landscape, zebras and flamingos encounter life-sized prehistoric giants, while children can choose between a petting zoo, rides, and a swimming lake.

Since 1913, the aquarium on Budapester Straße in Tiergarten has showcased around 20,000 animals across approximately 1,000 species, and since August 2026, after a three-year renovation, it is fully open to visitors again. Hammerhead sharks swim below in the 120,000-liter tank, while crocodiles, jellyfish, and insects await above. For indoor activities with children in Berlin, this means: three floors, three themes, short distances.

Only about 40 minutes southwest of Berlin, near Beelitz, lies a farm that guides families through all four seasons: fresh Beelitz asparagus in spring, pick-your-own in summer, Brandenburg's largest pumpkin exhibition in autumn, and winter magic with a toboggan run. The Klaistow Asparagus and Adventure Farm turns a simple trip to Brandenburg into a full day's program.

Europe's largest landscape animal park is located in Lichtenberg and transforms into an animal adventure playground for children aged 7 to 12 during the Easter holidays. On 160 hectares around the historic Friedrichsfelde Palace, holiday children learn what it means to truly immerse themselves in the world of animals.

At the northernmost tip of Reinickendorf, not far from the village center of Lübars, lies a historic manor: The Alte Fasanerie dates back to a royal pheasant farm from 1740 and is now Berlin's green answer to the children's farm. Alpacas, goats, Pomeranian geese, and real pheasants await visitors here.

An indoor activity for rainy days and an exciting family trip can be had at the SEA LIFE Center with the AquaDom near Alexanderplatz.

In the southwest of Berlin, in the Dahlem district, lies an active organic farm that is also an open-air museum. Domäne Dahlem combines agriculture, animal husbandry, and cultural history on a historic manor – and offers a packed hands-on program for families and children during the Easter holidays.