The division of Berlin following the Second World War left Zoo Station at the center of commercial West Berlin. Although the major trains from western Germany still stop at Zoo, the new station at Potsdamer Platz is suppose to gradually take over the role as Berlin’s central station in reality if not in name.
Zoo Station of course got its' name from the adjacent zoological gardens, which can still be entered from Lion’s Gate directly across the road from the station. However, the main entrance is via the Asian style Elephant Gate.
Originally established in 1844, Berlin zoo is one of the oldest in Germany and still one of Berlin’s most popular attractions. We went on a sunny Sunday when all the shops on nearby Kurfürstendamm were closed and it was literally packed with locals and tourists alike.
The zoo has some interesting displays methods including special glass panels allowing visitors to see miniature hippopotami and penguins swim. The hippos were enjoying the sun as much as the human visitors so we never saw them in action, but the penguins were pretty active. The aviaries are also well presented and it is possible to enter many of the cages.
The zoo also has a large section of nocturnal animals going about their business in dimly lit rooms. Expect to be bumped many times while shuffling in the dark from window to window. In all honesty, this section was less spectacular than I anticipated but I guess you can’t blame the zoo that these animals are not running around wild all the time.
The aquarium adjacent to the zoo, additional entrance charge, is apparently one of the largest in Europe. We didn’t visit it though as we found it hard to imagine that an aquarium so far from the sea could be worth the effort.
Berlin zoo makes a nice break from all the historic sites and is well worth an hour or two, especially on a sunny Sunday afternoon when much of the rest of the city is pretty much dead.