Planckendael Zoo

Planckendael is best known for its bonobos, one of the largest groups of these endangered great apes kept anywhere, and for a herd of Asian elephants that has produced several calves. The park sits on a country estate at Muizen, just outside Mechelen, and its animals live in spacious, landscaped enclosures among woodland, meadows and ponds rather than in rows of cages.

Planckendael opened in 1956 as a rural annex of Antwerp Zoo and is still run by the same Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, which uses it for breeding and conservation programmes alongside its public role. The old manor house of the estate still stands within the grounds.

With nearly a million visitors a year, it is one of Belgium's most popular days out, particularly for families. The paths cover a large area on foot, and most people spend a good part of a day here.