THE OCEAN UP-CLOSE… RIGHT IN VIENNA

A piece of the ocean right in the heart of Vienna? It actually exists! From sharks and rays to crocodiles and monkeys, the aqua terra zoo Haus des Meeres houses over 10,000 animals to observe on 11 floors. Aside from the incredible 360-degree shark tank, which combines the beauty of the Maldives with the skyline of Vienna’s city centre, the adorable brush-tailed bettong baby is currently taking the visitors’ hearts by storm.

As soon as you enter the Haus des Meeres, you are plunged into another world. There is, for example, the surf reef, featuring authentic sea surf. Thanks to a half-tunnel, you can be almost ‘inside’ the impressive sea surf with its countless vibrant tropical fish. The stunning coral reef, which consists of 14 interconnected aquariums, is also buzzing with colourful life. www.haus-des-meeres.at

A real highlight is the 360-degree shark tank, measuring about 120 square metres, on the seventh floor. Here, the undisputed stars are the Whitetip and Blacktip reef sharks, who share their habitat with related ray species.

In the tropical house, a real jungle adventure awaits. Cheeky little Goeldi's monkeys jump around freely to their hearts' content here. The five-metre-long Sunda Gavial, named Adam, can be found in the Crocodile Park.

Much smaller, but no less impressive, are the ants next door, who are busy working on what is possibly the longest ant street in the world. It runs over two floors and is an incredible 70 metres long.

In the newly opened Australia area, some unexpected offspring has caused delight all around. In December, a small brushtail bettong baby suddenly appeared from its mother’s pouch and surprised the zookeepers. Until then, the mother had successfully kept her offspring hidden and only when the little one was old enough to leave the pouch, the secret was revealed. Since then, it has happily explored the facility and enchanted the visitors of ‘Vienna’s Australia’.

Whether you come to admire the sea turtles, sharks, monkeys or the mini kangaroo, a visit to Haus des Meeres is always an unforgettable experience.