Weltvogelpark Walsrode
I live about 30 minutes away and visit almost weekly, so this is by far my most visited zoo.
From a species collector perspective, Walsrode is hard to beat in Europe. The collection is large and diverse, with a good number of uncommon and rarely kept birds. It’s one of those places where you can still add new species even after many visits, which says a lot.
The park is spacious and green, almost like a botanical garden, with several walk-through aviaries and halls that make photography and observation easy. You’re often close to the birds, and because I come regularly, I’ve learned which areas work best at different times of day depending on light, activity, and season.
For listing and photography, it’s excellent. Waterfowl, passerines, cranes, hornbills, parrots, and many other groups are represented, and rotations mean the collection changes over time. That’s a big reason I keep coming back.
For me, it’s simply a local luxury. A place I can return to week after week, still find something new, and steadily build my species list while enjoying a calm, spacious park.