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Guldborgsund Zoo & Botanical Garden

Former neighbourhood zoo and garden where animals, playgrounds and leafy parkland once created a relaxed, family-friendly green escape in Nykøbing Falster.

3.9

Guldborgsund Zoo & Botanical Garden in Nykøbing Falster blends intimate animal enclosures with leafy parkland and a small botanical collection. Once a classic family day out, it offered close-up encounters with species like big cats, lemurs, farm animals and birds, alongside playgrounds, picnic lawns and quiet corners by the trees. Though now reported as permanently closed, it remains a notable green landmark in the town’s recent cultural landscape.

A brief summary to Guldborgsund Zoo & Botanisk Have

  • Østre Alle 97, Nykøbing Falster, 4800, DK
  • +4554732700
  • Visit website
  • Duration: 1.5 to 3 hours
  • Budget
  • Environment icon Outdoor
  • Mobile reception: 4 out of 5
  • Monday 9 am-5 pm
  • Tuesday 9 am-5 pm
  • Wednesday 9 am-5 pm
  • Thursday 9 am-5 pm
  • Friday 9 am-5 pm
  • Saturday 9 am-5 pm
  • Sunday 9 am-5 pm

Local tips

  • Check the most up-to-date local information before planning a visit, as the zoo has been reported permanently closed and access arrangements may change.
  • If the grounds are accessible for events or special openings, bring snacks or a packed lunch to take advantage of the lawns and picnic-style seating.
  • Combine time here with other nearby Nykøbing Falster attractions to build a full day of urban green spaces, history and coastal scenery.
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Getting There

  • Regional train and walking

    From larger Zealand or Copenhagen hubs, take a regional train to Nykøbing Falster Station, a journey of roughly 1.5–2.5 hours depending on departure and connections. Standard adult fares typically range around 150–260 DKK one way in standard class. From the station, expect a moderate town walk of about 15–25 minutes on mostly level pavements. Services run throughout the day but can be less frequent in evenings and on some weekends, so checking current timetables before travel is important.

  • Car from within Lolland-Falster

    Arriving by car from elsewhere on Lolland-Falster usually takes 15–40 minutes, depending on your starting town and local traffic. The route uses standard paved roads and is straightforward in normal weather conditions. Fuel costs for a return trip within the region typically fall around 60–150 DKK, varying with distance and vehicle efficiency. Around the former zoo area, on-street or nearby public parking may be time-limited or regulated, so always check local signage and avoid leaving valuables in the vehicle.

  • Local bus within Nykøbing Falster

    Within Nykøbing Falster and nearby suburbs, local buses connect residential districts with the central area in about 10–25 minutes of travel time. Single tickets within the local zones generally cost in the region of 20–35 DKK per adult. Services are usually more frequent on weekdays and daytime hours, with reduced frequency in evenings, Sundays and holidays. Stops are within walking distance of the former zoo site, but you should verify current routes and operating hours, especially outside the main commuting periods.

Guldborgsund Zoo & Botanisk Have location weather suitability

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A green oasis in the heart of Nykøbing Falster

Guldborgsund Zoo & Botanical Garden occupied a gently sloping site on Østre Allé, where lawns, flowerbeds and mature trees framed the paths between animal enclosures. The setting felt more like a town park than a vast safari park, with compact distances and plenty of benches, making it an easy place to wander slowly, pause in the shade and listen to birdsong drifting above the calls from the animal pens. Within this intimate footprint, the botanical garden element added texture and colour. Beds planted with perennials, shrubs and seasonal flowers softened the fences and pathways, while small collections of labelled trees and ornamental plants hinted at a living outdoor classroom. In spring and summer, the greenery formed a leafy backdrop that made the zoo feel almost hidden inside its own pocket of nature.

Animals from farmyard favourites to exotic species

Across the grounds, Guldborgsund Zoo brought together a mixture of familiar Nordic farm animals and more exotic residents. Goats, sheep and small ponies introduced younger visitors to the sounds and smells of the countryside, while aviaries and ponds were home to geese and other waterfowl. In some seasons, walk-through areas allowed guests to move close to certain birds and smaller animals, adding to the sense of immersion. Alongside these gentler encounters, the zoo also housed larger species such as big cats, hoofed animals and primates in traditional enclosures. The scale was modest compared with metropolitan zoos, but it created the feeling of a neighbourhood wildlife park where you could loop past most inhabitants within a few hours, returning to favourites without long walks in between.

Playgrounds, picnics and family time

One of the defining features of Guldborgsund Zoo & Botanical Garden was its emphasis on unhurried family time. Several playgrounds, with climbing frames and sand areas, were dotted around the park so children could burn off energy between visits to the animals. Soft lawns and scattered picnic tables encouraged visitors to bring their own food, turning a zoo visit into a leisurely outdoor day. These recreational spaces blurred the line between attraction and local park. Families could settle in for the afternoon, moving between play areas, enclosures and quieter garden corners. For many locals, the zoo functioned as a green backyard where birthdays, outings and school trips unfolded among the trees and animal calls.

Botanical corners and seasonal atmosphere

Beyond the enclosures and play equipment, the botanical garden component gave the grounds a subtle educational layer. Selected trees, shrubs and beds were planted to show variety in form, colour and seasonality. In early spring, budding branches and the first flowers signalled the start of the visiting season, while high summer brought dense foliage and bright borders along the paths. As autumn approached, leaves turned and the mood shifted from bright greens to warmer tones, with quieter pathways and softer light over the enclosures. Even outside peak months, hardy plantings and evergreens maintained structure, so the site retained its park-like character in cooler weather, when only part of the attraction might be fully active.

A local landmark in transition

In recent years the site has been reported as permanently closed, marking the end of its chapter as an operating zoo and botanical garden. For Nykøbing Falster, it remains part of the town’s recent memory: a place where generations learned their first animal names, picnicked under tall trees and explored a curated slice of nature without leaving the urban area. Although gates may now be shut to everyday visitors, the story of Guldborgsund Zoo & Botanical Garden is woven into the broader narrative of how smaller Danish towns have brought animals, plants and recreation together in compact, walkable settings. Its legacy lives on in the landscape, in photographs of playground adventures and in the sense that a corner of the city once doubled as both zoo and neighbourhood park.

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