Haus des Meres

Aqua - Terra Zoo

Another weekend, another site to visit here, in Vienna. Haus des Meeres, the place which many of our friends from here said that we have to visit. One small tip for all of you, trip lovers? Do NOT visit anything in the weekend. The ques are endless – even though it is worth it. 

Little we knew about this place, besides being an aquarium build inside a World War 2 bunker! Which is awesome, by the way.

A short description of the building? It is basically a huge, thick wall tower, located inside a small park, surrounded by many buildings. There are 10 levels, the last two being a panorama point and a cafeteria, where you can enjoy a refreshing glass of juice, after you escalated all the floors. Don’t worry, there is an elevator that can reach up to the 8th floor.

Now the main part – The Aquarium! House of the sea

How can I say it in one word? Breathtaking. The number of species that are in there is phenomenal. And do not think that there are just fishes. We met many lovely faces, starting with some small monkeys that we admired for a few (long) minutes, anacondas, tarantulas, a very impolite python that was “yawning” in from of the camera – yes, he was sleepy, and much more.

However, from the beginning we wanted to find Nemo. Along the way, we encountered many of his friends that you can see in the photos. We even tried to feed our dead skin to the fish! Oh, this needs some context. Are you familiar with the little fish that can clean your feet from dead skin? There is a fish spa full of Doctor Fish(s). Yeah, there is a Wikipedia page with this name. Don’t trust me? Search for yourself and give a big like to this article! 

After we submerged our hands in the tank of Doctor Fish, we continued or journey. Level by level, specie after specie, including an Orchid Mantis that we hardly spotted, we found Nemo! He was eating and spending some quality time with his BFFs.

We then reached the 7th level, where you will find a staircase which has some photos on the side presenting the construction of the bunker. Spoiler alert? Is was built in 1944, at the end of WW2. Then you have the panorama, and one floor further, the cafeteria.

Haus des Meeres. Is it worth it? Yes.

Another thing that you should take into consideration is the price – 18.5 euros at full price. However, if you are a student and visit the aquarium during the week, the price will be less. We did not know that during the weekend students also pay full price… So pay attention to this article! Also, don’t spend all your money in the souvenir shop. 

Until next time, have fun in the sun and don’t forget to smile!

Photo gallery