A Pleasant Day in Planckendael

In order to introduce Planckendael Zoo, you need to know something more about the one in Antwerp. The Zoo of Antwerp is the oldest zoo in Belgium and actually one of the oldest in the world. In the 1960s however, the Zoo of Antwerp sometimes had problems with available space for its animals. This is exactly how the Zoo of Planckendael was born; it served as a kind of backup zoo for the one in Antwerp. In the beginning, it didn't attract a lot of people. That changed in the 1980s when Planckendael became a fully operational zoo. In fact, both zoos have now become complementary to each other.

Planckendael Zoo is located not far from Mechelen. You can easily reach it in your own car; there is more than ample parking space on the other side of the road. There are several ways to use public transport as well. Close to the zoo is a very small trainway station in Muizen. Otherwise, you take the train to the bigger station of Mechelen and afterwards come by bus or even boat to Planckendael. For more information, check out this website.

Just like many other zoos, Planckendael is subdivided into 5 continents: Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Oceania. At the entrance, you receive a map so that you can easily orientate yourself and decide which animals you would like to see first. And there is a lot of choices: Planckendael counts 202 different species of animals.

Feeling hungry and/or thirsty? Spread all over the zoo there are 4 restaurants, each with their own specialities. They are all clearly marked on the map. And there are smaller stands at different intervals as well when you only fancy a snack, a soda or an ice cream.

The most popular spot in Planckendael is without any doubt where the Asian elephants are housed. At the moment of my visit, not one, not two, but three elephants were pregnant. One of them was actually Kai-Mook, the first elephant ever born in Belgium. Unfortunately, about a year later, some of these elephants died suddenly.

Planckendael is a kid-friendly zoo, with lots of playgrounds everywhere. The exhausted moms and dads, on the other hand, can catch their breath on one of the many benches.

There are also two gift shops in the park. To be honest, I love those gadgets and dolls and I can never leave any zoo without one of them!

This is by far my most favourite zoo in Belgium. It misses the grandeur of Pairi Daiza, but Planckendael is cosier and you will always find a quiet corner where you can enjoy the surroundings. It is also less expensive, especially compared to Pairi Daiza.

Find out more about this zoo on their beautiful website!

Tomorrow, I will be back writing on my movie website, devoting my attention to three short horror movies that I discovered on YouTube.