Korkeasaari Zoo

Korkeasaari Zoo occupies a small rocky island about three kilometers north of Helsinki Central Station and, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest zoos in the world. Its 22 hectares house roughly 150 animal and 1,000 plant species, with a clear focus on boreal and mountain regions and successful breeding of snow leopards, Amur leopards and wildcats. The Amazonia tropical house and the Borealia house, designed for the moderate Finnish winter, are particularly notable. The island can be reached by ferry from the Market Square in summer or year-round via a bridge from the Mustikkamaa district. The visit is family-friendly and easily covered in two to three hours; in winter the groomed loop trail also attracts people who simply want a walk.