Have you ever wanted a giant parrot to land on your shoulder? Dreamed of feeding exotic birds from the palm of your hand? Well, I found the place for you! Germany’s bird castle, Vogelburg, is a sanctuary for tropical birds. The best part? You can get up close and personal with them!
Located in a picturesque ‘castle’ with winding cobblestone pathways, it was well worth the 40 minute drive from our home in Wiesbaden.
Tickets & Admission
Tickets are purchased at the entrance. To find the front door, you will walk up a small hill from the parking lot. There is a large, black Vogelburg sign on the building. On either side of this sign, there are doorways. You will take the doorway on the right of the sign (the left doorway is a revolving door that you exit the park through).
You will pay through a ticket window and the attendant will buzz you through a glass door to the park. As soon as you enter, be aware two feathered friends will await you (do not allow your dog to jump at them).
Price for tickets:
- Adults: 8 Euros
- Children (2-14 years old): 6 Euros
- Dogs: FREE
Google Maps Location: Vogelburg (Vogelpark 1, 61276 Weilrod, Germany)
Feeding the Birds
Once you enter the park, there is a small gift shop to your right where you can purchase a cup of mixed nuts and seeds to feed the birds. Another option is to use the seed dispensers (two are available on the wall to your left at the entrance). Tip: Look above the seed dispensers and you will see a small paper cone that you can carry around the park to refill your seeds.
The coin dispensers throughout the park cost 50 cents. I recommend bringing 50 cent coins with you to refill your cup (the birds will love you).
BEWARE: The birds will steal your cups/cones of feed if you do not have a good grip! We saw quite a few parrots fly away with cones and a parrot even ripped mine to shreds attempting to pinch it from me.
Inside of the bird cages you cannot bring dogs, strollers or bags. You must leave them outside of the cage while you go inside. In addition, no outside food or drink is allowed in the park (do not bring your own feed for the animals).
Food
We decided to purchase a meal in the park before we made the drive home. The food was decent and typical of what you would get at an attraction. I purchased the “spiessbraten vom buchenholz” and my husband ordered the “Bratwurst und kartoffel-salat.” My dish, which was essentially a roast meat topped with caramelized onions and a side of noodles, was ok. The meat was dry and tough, but it was edible. I, however, would not order it again. My husband’s dish, which was sausage with potato salad, was good. We would order that again.
Pricing: Main dishes ranged from about 6 -12 Euros. Desserts and additional sides ranged from 2 -6 Euros.
Dogs can go into the outdoor eating area.
Can I Bring My Dog?
Dogs are allowed in the park. Here are some tips:
- It is very loud at the facility. Most dogs that we passed were visibly shaking and tucking their tails from the stress. Jasper is a service dog and is accustomed to stressful situations, but the pets we passed were obviously uncomfortable in the park.
- Dogs must be on a short leash (not a long retractable one).
- There is not an area to place your dog while you go inside the parrot houses. You will need to switch off who holds your dog when a member of your party goes inside. For example: My husband waited outside the houses with Jasper while I entered to feed the birds.
- If your dog barks or disturbs the birds in any way, the facility will ask you to leave.
- There are two areas in the park where birds are outside of their cages. The birds are on large branches in the walkway (near the entrance). This means that your dog can see and reach the birds without a barrier. As this is right at the entrance of the park, I recommend leaving your dog at home if they are reactive to animals or have a high prey drive.
Kids
The facility is a great day trip for the family. There is even a large slide that the children can enjoy!
Be aware that the birds can bite and that children should not stick their fingers into the cages (If you watch our Vlog below, you will see that one of the parrots was not my biggest fan).
Restrooms
There is a restroom on the property. Head straight to the back of the facility from the entrance. When you near the gastronomy area, there will be a sign on your right that directs you to the toilets.
Tips for the Park
- Bring 50 cent coins: You can use these to purchase seeds throughout the park.
- Wear comftorable shoes: The park is has a lot of hills and the pathways are uneven. It would be a struggle to navigate in anything other than sneakers.
- Wear your hair up: I found out pretty quick that many of the parrots do not like long hair. They will pull it and even swoop down to peck you. I ended up throwing my hair into a quick bun to enter the houses.
- Lockers: Rucksacks, bookbags and motorcycle helmets are not permitted in the park. Once you enter, there is a small locker area where you will be asked to store these items (I was not asked to store my purse, but I was not allowed to take it inside of the bird houses).
- Time of day to visit: We arrived a little before noon on a Friday. There was no line at the entrance, but the park was active with visitors, however, it was not overwhelmingly crowded. Our trip lasted till around 3 p.m. and visitation appeared to be about the same at that time.
- Sunglasses & Sunscreen: The facility is not shaded. I recommend bringing sunglasses (for outside of the bird houses) and wearing sunscreen for extra protection.
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Have you watched our Vlog from Vogelburg?
