Artis

Founded in 1838, Artis is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands. Its full name, Natura Artis Magistra, means "nature is the teacher of art." It still occupies its original grounds in Amsterdam's Plantage district, where historic 19th-century buildings and mature trees sit alongside the animal enclosures, giving it the feel of a city park as much as a zoo.

Beyond the animals, the grounds include a historic aquarium building, a planetarium and Micropia, a museum devoted to microbes that shows the microscopic life found in and around us. Gardens and listed buildings make the zoo a place to wander rather than simply move from enclosure to enclosure.

Drawing well over a million visitors a year, Artis is especially popular with families, though its architecture and gardens appeal to adults too. Seeing the main areas comfortably usually takes at least half a day.