Wilhelma

13 Wilhelmaplatz

Wilhelma was initially built as a royal palace, and now sits on a 30-hectare plot of land split between a zoo and botanical garden, in the northern suburbs of Stuttgart, Germany. It was built from 1842 to 1853, for King Wilhelm I of Wuerttemberg, and contains a large number of Moorish elements, which gave it the nickname “Alhambra am Neckar.” The original historic building was destroyed during World War II but the city has done a wonderful job rebuilding. A beautiful aspect of the zoo is the large magnolia grove. It is spectacular in spring and with the centrally located pond, hosting a large variety of water lilies, this alone makes it worth the visit.

More Recommendations

A day at the zoo

Wilhelma was initially built as a royal palace, and now sits on a 30-hectare plot of land split between a zoo and botanical garden, in the northern suburbs of Stuttgart, Germany. It was built from 1842 to 1853, for King Wilhelm I of Wuerttemberg, and contains a large number of Moorish elements, which gave it the nickname “Alhambra am Neckar.” The original historic building was destroyed during World War II but the city has done a wonderful job rebuilding. A beautiful aspect of the zoo is the large magnolia grove. It is spectacular in spring and with the centrally located pond, hosting a large variety of water lilies, this alone makes it worth the visit.

Insectarium

The aim of this house is to awaken a fascination for the creepy-crawly world, displaying insects, millipedes, crustaceans, scorpions and spiders. The first room in the three sections of the Insectarium is dedicated to the diversity of the anthropods – a group of animals to which, after all, some 80 percent of all known and still living animals belong! In the central area the Butterfly Hall shows the wonderful world of the butterfly and in the third room the subject is the relationship between insect and human being.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com.

Nearby highlights
Sign up for our newsletter
Join more than a million of the world’s best travelers. Subscribe to the Daily Wander newsletter.
More From AFAR