Artis Royal Zoo
If you
enjoy wildlife of different sorts, you cannot ask for a better opportunity to
see some of the finest species in a perfect natural setting. The Artis Royal
Zoo is a great place to admire some of the most amazing specimens of unusual
and exotic fauna, but also to enjoy the marvelous examples of 19th
century architecture. It is a truly remarkable spot for anyone looking for
something more than the casual metropolitan chic offered by the Venice of the
North.
The location
If you
happen to stroll around the charmingly fresh and tranquil area of Plantage (a
little to the east from the city centre), it’s impossible to miss the place.
The zoo is located on Plantage Kerklaan, very close to yet two more fantastic
attractions – the picturesque Wertheimpark neighboring the lovely canal of
Nieuwe Herengracht and the amazing Hortus Botanicus – one of the oldest botanic
gardens in the world! Apart from that, the place is surrounded with lots of
fabulous eating establishments, bars and cafés, so if you don’t find anything
appealing to you on the premises of the zoo (Artis offers a rich variety of
restaurants, small cafés and genuine tray bikes (the so-called ‘bakfietsen’) where
you can get a big selection of food and beverages; alternatively, you’re most
welcome to take your own food and organize a picnic under a tree), then feel
free to explore the vicinities in search for the perfect meal. For a quicker meal it would
be a good choice to check out the nearby Burgermeester, but if you have some
more time to spare, you can try the Tempura, Meneer Nilsson or De Pizzabakkers;
either way, there’s plenty to choose from, so you won’t be disappointed.
The zoo
The name of
‘Artis’ comes from the phrase ‘Natura Artis Magistra’, which in turn means ‘nature
is the teacher of art’ in Latin. The zoo was founded in 1838, so now, during
2013 it celebrates its 175th anniversary and on that occasion you
might expect to see it refreshed with tons of new flowers – with all the colors
of the rainbow, the place will be as vibrant and vivid as never before! A proof
of its appeal might be the fact that it is the second most often visited
attraction in Amsterdam and although it might get a bit crowded at times (about
1.2 million visitors each year!), the beautiful natural setting grants a real
sense of comfort and freedom, thus making you able to enjoy the view of all the
750 present species of wildlife to the max.
The place
has three gates, but usually the middle one is used as the entrance. The whole
area is spread over a huge park and features not only some really amazing
species of fauna, but also a range of other excitements.
The
beginnings of Artis Royal Zoo involve the opening of an orangery (now the
petting zoo) and the initial collection included a couple of monkeys, a
Surinamese wildcat, a few parrots and several other birds. As you might rightly
expect, much has changed with time. Today, apart from the ‘usual’ sights like camels
‘welcoming’ the guests right behind the entrance, crocodiles sprawling in the
shade of their lair, lemurs devoted to their casual antics or giraffes
galloping together with zebras, springboks and gnus, Artis comes with many more
special points of interest. To start with, you should absolutely visit the
wonderful 19th century building of the Aquarium; adopted to modern
use, it offers an incredible diversity of marine life, a chance to have a look
at the aquatic tanks found in the Main Hall, a glimpse into the Amazonian
rainforest and an opportunity to wonder at the tropical coral reef! But wait,
there’s even more – you can ‘descend’ and peer into the depths of the waters of
the underground Amsterdam canal flowing underneath the area!
Another
notable spot to see in Artis is the Butterfly Pavilion. It covers an impressive
surface area of around one thousand square meters and is a home to several
thousands of butterflies, which fly freely all over the place, right in front
of your eyes. Also, if you’re lucky enough (depending on the season, actually),
you might witness the presence of the Blue Morpho – one of the largest
butterflies in the world (with around 15 cm of its wingspread), or the
lightning-speed flight of the Swallowtail Butterfly – the fastest butterfly on
Earth!
The fun
does not end here, for Artis is much more than a zoo – it is an exceptional
place where culture, nature, knowledge, science and pleasure blend and coexist.
One such example of non-fauna-related attractions is the marvelous Planetarium
where every day you can watch a set of incredible films displayed on the curved
dome of 628 square meters of surface area! Note, however, that the shows are in
Dutch only.
Ever
wondered what lives in your garden, backyard or even under the carpet? Meet
your ‘roommates’ in the great Insectarium! This place used to be a food storage
facility but became adopted to its present use in 2005 and since that time it
has attracted lots of visitors curious of the mysterious ways of the most
intriguing creatures on Earth – if you’re one of those curious, it is the place
to go to.
While the
zoo mostly focuses on its inhabitants of today, it still pays homage to the
past. Among the fabulous gardens there await many splendid historic buildings,
responsible to a large extent for the present charm of the place. Some of these
remaining buildings date way back to the times before the zoo was created, like
the Wolf House, which many, many years ago used to be an inn, or the Masman
Garden House – now a habitat of scarlet ibises.
Artis can
also boast a beautiful modern library including a breathtaking collection of
around 80.000 animal prints, 3.000 manuscripts and over 20.000 books, many of
which are devoted to the history of the disciplines of zoology and botany. A
great place to gain some deeper insight into the theory as opposed to the practice
frolicking just outside. All in all, Artis Royal Zoo is a living evidence of
the importance of nature in our life, serving the purpose of both entertainment
and education.
Address, tickets and opening times
Artis Royal
Zoo is located on Plantage Kerklaan 38-40; you can take the tram no. 9 from
Amsterdam Centraal or no. 14 from the Dam stop.
(Editor’s note: Check the video at the bottom of this article for more information about the Amsterdam public transport system). The Zoo is open daily from 9
a.m. to 6 p.m. (this schedule applies from 1 April to 31 October; for a more
detailed schedule, visit
). The prices for the tickets are
the following: youth (for children aged 3-9) = 15,95€, normal (www.artis.nl/en/artis-royal-zoo for visitors
aged 10-64) = 19,50€ and senior (for visitors aged 65+) = 17,95€.
*BONUS*
While you’re inside the Zoo, expect to see small
grey-brown puppet figures appearing all over the place. If you’re curious about
its identity, let us explain – it is the Artis de Partis, the mascot of Artis
Royal Zoo. Apart from its obvious entertaining role, it comes also as a
merchandise product and 25% of the sales is allocated to the fund providing
home and care for injured or orphaned giant anteaters, who are released back
into the wild as soon as they get better.
