WIESBADEN, Germany — As autumn dips its quill into ocher and bronze to paint the landscape before the darker days of winter, community members may want to bask in the fall foliage. Heading up into the nearby Taunus Mountains takes one to a wealth of hiking and biking trails, castles and Roman remnants within a short drive of Wiesbaden housing areas.
Visitors young and old will enjoy a day’s outing to the Opel Zoo between Kronberg and Konigstein. Situated on Highway 455 which runs by Hainerberg Housing, past Crestview and Aukamm and up into the Taunus in the direction of Eppstein and eventually on to the Saalburg Roman fortress near Wehrheim, the Opel Zoo features a wide variety of animal enclosures, restaurants, a petting zoo and a large play area.
More than 1,400 animals of 200 different kinds are on display in the Opel Zoo which is spread out on the side of a hill facing the nearby Falkenstein Castle. Visitors are first invited to feed the goats (animal food and carrots are on sale at the door) before entering the zoo proper where they are greeted by African elephants, giraffes, porcupines and a host of other creatures big and small.
A playground area offers very young visitors the opportunity to burn some energy while climbing, swinging, bouncing and spinning on various amusements. At the top of the play area camel and pony rides are offered for a small additional charge to the entrance fee.
Several new enclosures and walkways at the Opel Zoo have expanded the route by which visitors make their way through the park. They also offer a look at unusual amphibians, birds, apes and other mammals.
While everyone is invited into the petting zoo which includes donkeys, sheep and goats, parents are warned not to supply their younger children with food before entering as the animals will quickly swarm and overwhelm them.
The Opel Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the winter months, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in spring and fall and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the summer.
Admission is €10.50 for adults, €6.50 for youths ages 3-14 and free for younger children.
If you still have time to explore the area after visiting the Opel Zoo, consider hiking up to the Falkenstein Castle or driving back to Konigstein to hike up into the Konigstein Castle — once a powerful fortress in the region before being destroyed in a blast by French occupiers in the late 18th century.
For more information about the Opel Zoo visit www.opelzoo.de.