The best animal parks and farms Switzerland

Why were there bears in Bern? Did they come from the mountains? According to tradition, Berthold V of Zähringen, the city's founder, shot a bear on the Aare peninsula, giving the city its name(Bär = bear). Bears have lived in Bern ever since, and can be observed playing, swimming and climbing at close quarters in a 6,000^m2 park created in 2009 on the banks of the River Aare. Finn, Björk, Ursina and Berna are currently the stars of the Bear Park. They can be seen all year round, except during hibernation.

Marmottes Paradis is home to five of the world's fourteen species, from Russia and North America. Housed in 400 m² pens, they are protected from predators by fences. In one of the parks, a tunnel allows you to observe the interior of the burrows through large portholes. Two other parks are equipped with cameras so you can examine the marmots' underground activity. An educational center provides information on the different species of marmot in the world.

In this village, Max Bösch, known as the "father of storks", founded a stork park after the last war to ensure the survival of this bird in Switzerland. The fact is that on many of the village's rooftops, whole families of storks nest and welcome visitors. Currently, about 20 nests are occupied and about 200 storks live here. The black stork, an endangered species, is a regular visitor. The storks are more numerous in summer.

La Garenne's goal is to care for and present animals while making us aware of nature. Here we discover unique species of Switzerland, because it is so important to know the environment that surrounds us! Thus, we have the chance to observe mammals like the lynx, the badger, the raccoon and - new in 2022 - a male otter, impressive birds of prey like the bearded vulture. You can also enjoy the Ekocook certified restaurant.