Artis Zoo, Amsterdam

If your into Zoos, IMO it's one of the best in the world. Just across the street is the WWII resistance museum and around the corner is the Holocaust memorial, one tram stop away is the Tropical Museum and the botanic gardens. It's also just past the Jewish Quarter. The Jewish Museum currently has a great exhibit on American comic books, and nearby is the Amsterdam branch of the Hermitage Museum. As you can see there is a lot to do in this corner of the city.

When I was in Amsterdam I took a nap while the rest of my group went to the Artis Zoo--so I'm not speaking first hand. I had heard that the zoo could actually be a sad experience for animal lovers--obviously it is a VERY old zoo in a very dense city, and was built when people cared even less about giving the animals much open space. My friends that went did enjoy it, but confirmed the animals were confined to much smaller spaces than you'd expect. I'm pretty sure it was on trip advisor that I was reading all the negative reviews of the zoo. Go to the Albert Cuyp market instead if you have time.

The first time I visited the Zoo in 1996 some of the larger animals were indeed cramped in small cages. But over the years a lot construction money has gone into expanding and modernizing the facility. There is now a new section where the larger animals are in much bigger enclosures.

There's not a zoo in the world where the beautiful animals have enough room to 'roam' as though they were in their natural habitat. And there's not a country in the world that protects and loves animals more than the folks in Holland. If you enjoy zoo visits, go to the one in Amsterdam (or in Antwerp where they've done a wonderful job as well), and follow Michael's other recommendations in the neighborhood -if you visit them all, you'll have a grand and thoughtful day. Make a large contribution on the way out to help the zoo-keepers do their work.