Daun Wildlife Park: an exciting car safari

Daun Wildlife Park: an adventure for young and old

The Vulkaneifel has always cast a spell over its visitors. Daun Wildlife Park sits in the middle of this breathtaking landscape. It lies close to Pützborn, a district of Daun, only four kilometres from the centre of the town. Along a special driving route you can experience the park’s wild animals across 220 hectares at close quarters, with no extra fencing in between. A car safari like this comes highly recommended: on a site this size it is the only way to see a good number of animals.

The wild animals visitors love most

There are plenty of animals to marvel at along the driving route. Mouflon, llamas, wild yaks, wild boar and red deer all live here. One of the park’s highlights is surely the Barbary macaques, which live in a valley created specially for them. You can reach the macaques on foot and see them at very close range, because they roam freely.

If you are interested in the rich variety of birdlife, the park’s birds of prey enclosure is exactly the right place for you. The falconry centre based there puts on regular flying displays and tells you a great deal about the way these impressive birds live.

Daun Wildlife Park: admission prices and what to know

Adults pay 12.50 euros per person for admission. For children between 4 and 15 the admission price is 11.00 euros per person. Group and family tickets are available too. After the drive through the wildlife park you can satisfy your hunger in the park restaurant or head off to the summer toboggan run with the whole family.

Attractions in the surrounding area

Not ready to leave the beautiful Eifel yet? There is a great deal more to discover. Visit the popular Laacher See, the largest lake in Rhineland-Palatinate, or admire the Benedictine Maria Laach Abbey with its many traditional workshops. The famous Nürburgring is not far away either. The countryside between the Rhine and the Moselle is world-famous for its singular beauty and for the old-world charm of its villages and towns. Countless half-timbered buildings recall centuries of history and draw many visitors every year. The castles and palaces, some of them beautifully preserved, delight the whole family, and the traditional wine festivals attract wine lovers from near and far.

The Vulkaneifel is without doubt worth a longer stay. Do also visit Cochem on the Moselle with Cochem Castle, Bernkastel-Kues with its picturesque squares and its many cafés and restaurants, the fairy-tale Bürresheim Castle, the city of Koblenz with Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, or Trier, Germany’s oldest city.

There is plenty more for the little ones to discover too: Neuwied Zoo, the Teufelsschlucht dinosaur park, Klotten Wildlife and Adventure Park or Tollipark in Mayen, to name just a few places where boredom is guaranteed not to set in.

If you like to get a little higher up, you can take a walk for the truly brave across the Geierlay, one of Germany’s largest and most thrilling suspension bridges, or climb the Hohe Acht with its handsome viewing tower. The panorama from the top is glorious, and in good weather you can even make out Cologne Cathedral. If it is the deepest beer cellar in the world you want to see, head for the Vulkan Brauerei in Mendig, or visit the Deutsches Schieferbergwerk slate mine in Mayen together with the Eifelmuseum.

The varied countryside and the sheer number of things to do make the Eifel an ideal holiday destination. Lakes and forests shape the landscape, and a holiday by one of its unspoilt lakes almost suggests itself. An Eifel holiday home by the lake is the perfect retreat for the whole family, a place to escape the stress of everyday life. With every comfort provided, you can enjoy the quiet and still reach the nearest town in a matter of minutes.

The Waldsee Rieden: idyllic and restful

The Waldsee lies between the village of Rieden and the town of Mayen. With around four hectares of water it is a popular holiday destination, and it is only a short way from the wildlife park. In a comfortable holiday home by the lake you can let your mind wander, then round off the day with a stroll through the nearby town. The holiday homes are just a 10-minute drive from the town. So you and your family can enjoy the peace without giving up everything the town has to offer.

Urlaub am Waldsee: three top five-star holiday homes for you

If you would like to spend your holiday in comfortable accommodation right by the lake, this selection of top five-star holiday homes is worth a closer look. Holiday Homes Susi, Annika and Tommy sleep two to six guests and stand in the prime position known as the “Sonnenterrasse”. The homes are very well equipped and furnished with great care. And of course you are welcome to bring your four-legged friend. All the holiday homes are fenced, so you and your dog can enjoy your holiday together without a care.

The park is about four kilometres from the centre of Daun and easy to reach on the A1 and A48 motorways.

In summer the park is open from 10:00 to 18:00, in winter from 10:00 to 16:00.

Adults pay 12.50 euros per person to enter the park, and for children between 4 and 15 the admission price is 11.00 euros per person. Separate rates apply to groups (adults/children).