Top 10 Zoos & Aquariums in Italian Alps, Italian Alps

The Alberto Avesani Farm was founded back in 1933 and covers 64 hectares of hills inland of Lake Garda, in Bussolengo, Verona province.A zoological park of about 24 hectares called Garda Zoo Park was conceived in 1965. Opened on June 25 1969, it hosted both indigenous and exotic animals.In 1973 a new area dedicated to African mammals and birds, the Safari Park, was added, which visitors could access in their own car.In 1978 the whole facility was expanded with the addition of new areas: the Aquaterrarium, the Tropical Greenhouse, and the Dinosaur Park, where visitors had the chance to admire life-size models of prehistoric reptiles for the first time in Italy.In 1985 a comprehensive reorganization process was started on a zoological, architectural and managerial level.

Villa Pallavicino was a private residence in 1855, when it was purchased by Ruggero Bonghi, statesman and writer. In 1862 the ownership was transferred to the noble Genoese Pallavicino family who enlarged the estate, transforming it into a nineteenth-century neoclassical style villa. In 1956 the Pallavicino family decided to transform their marvellous garden into a wildlife museum open to the public. In July 2017, the Pallavicino Park became part of the Borromeo tourist circuit. The trees are the greatest feature of this park: centuries old chestnut trees and liriodendrons, among the oldest in Italy, red beeches, maples, larches, the majestic ginko biloba, tall sequoias and fragrant magnolias. A real attraction is the imposing cedar of Lebanon, in the natural amphitheatre outside the villa.

The Cornelle Animal Park is an important presence both from the scientific and the touristic point of view, managed by a private company, therefore enjoys no public funding and Its income comes solely from the ticket. The Park extends itself over a surface of 126.000 sq. mt and hosts around 120 animal species of mammals, birds and reptiles. The structures follow the most recent european trends regarding animal well being, insuring that each species has a life as close as possible to that in the wild both in terms of socialization, spaces and stimuli as well as taking into consideration animal and visitor safety. Entrance to the park is exclusively on foot and by following an ideal path, the visitor can live an exciting experience.Visitors can admire well known species right next to less common and endangered species like the Snow Leopard, the Japanese Crane, Lear’s Macaw and the White Tiger whose white mantel is caused by the combination of recessive genes.

The Parco Faunistico Mont Avic is a peaceful oasis where visitors can walk along a circular path runnig through the various areas of housing. You can feed the animals using the special food boxes. The Parco Faunistico allows to observe a part of mountains habitat with his animals and it offers a safe haven to those species who live there. Most of them, in fact, come from italian Recovery Centres