Gdański Ogród Zoologiczny, Gdańsk

Gdańsk Zoo is the zoological garden spreading through Oliwa, rather than a single enclosed attraction. As you walk along its paths, its scale becomes clear: it covers about 124 hectares, making it Poland’s largest zoo by area. The garden opened in 1954 in the Leśny Młyn Valley, on land occupied by a sanatorium that treated respiratory and rheumatic illnesses.

Look for the animal habitats as you go; the zoo is internationally known for breeding Andean condors, with regular young birds. It also takes part in the European Endangered Species Programme. Since 2005, this has been the only zoo in Poland presenting anoas and Javan lutungs. Those unusual residents give the broad, wooded grounds a very specific strength: conservation here is tied to animals you would rarely encounter elsewhere.