Meissen · DE

ehemals Tierpark Meißen Siebeneichen

For two decades the Former Tierpark Meißen Siebeneichen was one of Saxony's most charming little animal parks: a hillside 'Bergtierpark' of paddocks, aviaries and a petting zoo tucked into the slope between the Elbe and Schloss Siebeneichen, on the south-eastern edge of Meißen. It was never a grand zoo but a scrappy, privately run menagerie of about three hectares, and it closed permanently in late 2021 after its operator's lease came to an end. What made it special was its mix of rare heritage farm breeds and odd pieces of exotic wildlife — Bennett kangaroos, Arctic foxes, rheas and porcupines shared the hillside with dwarf donkeys, llamas and unusual goats — capped by a true local legend, the Meissen 'Elbe crocodile.' At a few euros a head, it was a favourite family outing rather than a bucket-list destination. Today the site is in transition. The city of Meißen is rebuilding the grounds into a municipally operated Familientierpark (family animal park), with construction on the open areas under way from 2025 and an opening targeted for 2026. So the old Tierpark belongs to memory — but the slope below the castle is far from finished.