Orientarium Łódź Zoo

Sharks and rays glide over a 26-metre underwater tunnel, and a few steps away lies Kraken, a false gharial that the zoo describes as the largest of his species in Europe. Łódź Zoo was founded in 1938, and in 2022 it opened the Orientarium, a vast pavilion devoted to the wildlife and plants of Southeast Asia. Today plenty of people travel to Łódź just for the zoo.

History: from Boruta the deer to the Orientarium

The zoo was laid out on the last surviving patch of the old Łódź Forest, in the Zdrowie district. Nobody knows the exact opening date, so autumn 1938, when the perimeter fence was finished, is taken as the start. According to the zoo, its first resident was a deer named Boruta, caught after he wandered into Reymont Square in the city centre. The zoo came through the Second World War in good shape, and by late 1944 it held about 550 animals of 117 species, some of them bought from a circus that had burned down.

In 1996 Łódź became the first zoo in Poland to keep Asiatic lions. Plans for the Orientarium were announced in 2015, and construction lasted until 2022. The zoo has been a member of WAZA since 1975 and of EAZA since 1993.

What to see in the Orientarium

The zoo compares the area of the Orientarium's building, enclosures and aviaries to almost 10 football pitches. You see the animals from three angles: from underwater, at ground level and from above.

• Ocean zone: 7 tanks holding more than 3 million litres of water, plus the underwater tunnel. More than 1,300 fish of 180 species live here, including reef sharks, wobbegongs and rays. A replica of a Second World War Japanese Mitsubishi J2M fighter plane lies on the bottom of the largest tank.
• Indian zone: the elephants have a 2,000 m² indoor enclosure with a pool, and a window below the waterline lets you watch them swim. The oldest bull is Aleksander, born in 1978, and he's easy to spot because he has only one tusk.
• Sunda Islands: the warmest part of the pavilion (24–26°C, nearly 80% humidity), home to the false gharials Kraken (5.15 m long) and Penelopa, Sumatran orangutans, sun bears, langurs and binturongs.
• Celebes: the lion-tailed macaque enclosure is styled as the ruins of a Buddhist temple.

Beyond the Orientarium

The rest of the grounds is a classic zoo with animal houses, outdoor enclosures and a petting zoo for children. The zoo says it keeps more than 5,000 animals of over 625 species. Łódź is the only place in Poland where you can see giant otters, Sumatran orangutans, false gharials and bush dogs, among others. With 8 heated animal houses, the zoo stays open all year round.

Tripto tip

• Opening hours (October 2026): the Orientarium building is open 9:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:00. The outdoor grounds close at 15:30 and the other animal houses at 15:15. Ticket desks are open 9:00–16:00. A zoo ticket includes the Orientarium. Hours change with the seasons, so check them before you go.
• Time needed: allow 2–3 hours for the Orientarium alone and half a day for the whole zoo.
• Getting there: the zoo is at ul. Konstantynowska 8/10. The bus stops nearby are called "ZOO Orientarium", and it's about a 20-minute walk from Łódź Kaliska railway station. If you drive, the easiest option is the Atlas Arena car park (entrance from al. Unii). From there you can walk through the park or take a free electric cart. On days without events at the city's MAKiS venues, parking costs PLN 6 per hour.
• Rules: dogs aren't allowed, bikes and scooters stay outside the entrance, and flash photography is not permitted in the pavilions. The schedule of public feedings can change.