Wilhelma Zoo, Stuttgart

Wilhelma, built as a royal palace, is now a zoo in the northern suburbs of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is Europe's only large combined zoological and botanical garden and is home to over 8,000 animals from over 1,000 different species and exotic plants from over 5,000 species. The zoo is famous for keeping all four kinds of great apes, all in families with offspring, as well as for its aquarium featuring animals and plants from all over the world. It was also the home of the polar bear Wilbär. The Wilhelma was originally a royal palace, in Moorish Revival style, and echoes such buildings as the Alhambra Palace. After the Second World War, it was gradually converted to its present day use. Besides animals and plants, the Wilhelma is therefore also worth visiting for its architecture, which is intact since the mid-19th century.