5 aquariums in Switzerland you should visit

Keeping the whole family entertained can be tough, but luckily a visit to a Swiss aquarium will keep everything going swimmingly even during the cooler weather. Underwater worlds filled with ocean life are waiting to be explored. Anchors aweigh!

Explore an aquarium in Switzerland

If you enjoy getting close to nature by exploring lakes, mountains and forests in Switzerland then you’ll love what these aquariums have to offer! You certainly won’t have a bad time watching colourful fish and other aquatic creatures making a splash in their natural environment. Dip your toe in!

Aquatis Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne

As the biggest freshwater aquarium in Europe, AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne is one underwater wonderland you need to see. Innovative digital technology at AQUATIS means you’ll easily be able to identify every creature you see and learn fun facts about them through interactive scenography. 

You can immerse yourself in a journey through the freshwater ecosystems of five different continents while never leaving Lausanne. AQUATIS also offers fun educational workshops that are exciting and educational while also raising awareness about the environmental challenges of freshwater ecosystems and sustainable development. 

While you’re touring through the aquarium, you don’t want to forget your visit to the heart of the AQUATIS mission: the nursery for endangered species. Here you can have a unique and adorable experience where you follow the development of a variety of baby animals such as rays, rainbow fish, sacred crocodiles and more. 

Video: YouTube / AQUATIS Aquarium-Vivarium Lausanne

SEA LIFE Konstanz

While SEA LIFE Konstanz is technically in Germany, it’s located just a short walk away from the border and is well-connected to Swiss public transport. The Polar Adventure area is a special highlight of this SEA LIFE, where you can watch gentoo penguins waddle on ice and dive into the water - and you might even get a chance of a sneak peek at their adorable little chicks.

Along with many fun areas to explore, such as the Glacial Cave and North Sea at Night, a ticket to SEA LIFE Konstanz comes with free admission to the Lake Constance Museum of Natural History. This means you can go from learning about the fish that live in Lake Constance at SEA LIFE to learning about the history of the lake itself all in one day.

Zoo Zurich 

How about a visit to a zoo and an aquarium combined? The aquarium at Zoo Zurich has over 85 different fish species living in eight aquarium tanks. The various tanks represent different habitats, from rivers and lakes in the Amazon Basin to reefs and rocky coasts in the Indo-Pacific. Electric eels, lionfish, red piranhas and coral catsharks — this is just some of the sea life you’ll encounter at this aquarium in Zurich. 

Not only can you admire a large variety of aquatic critters, but you can also explore an interactive aqualab, a cinema and an indoor penguin enclosure which form part of the aquarium. While you’re there, why not have an educational experience with a presentation about aquarium animals, or enjoy watching penguins gobble up some fish at a penguin feeding? With so many activities to keep you busy at the aquarium and the zoo, it will be smooth sailing throughout the outing. 

Image credit: Zoo Zürich / Albert Schmidmeister

Tierpark Bern

In the city of Bern, you’ll have every opportunity to see a range of animals. The Dählhölzli Zoo within Tierpark Bern is where you’ll be able to find all the wildlife that you’re dreaming of. In the heart of the zoo is the vivarium, where you’ll come across not only aquariums but terrariums as well. Entering a light-filled hall with subtropical and semi-arid habitats housing exotic species such as iguanas, you slowly make your way down to the seal enclosure and other aquatic worlds. 

From the Amazon to the coral reef to the mangrove, you’ll encounter piranhas and freshwater rays, then experience rainbows of sea life with corals, starfish and surgeonfish. You’ll also have the opportunity to come across bears and other land-dwelling animals on your journey throughout the rest of the zoo and bear park, making the wildlife experience complete. 

Zoo Basel

If you’re looking for somewhere in Basel where you can see animals flourish on land and in water, then this is the zoo aquarium to visit. The vivarium at Basel Zoo is divided into an aquarium section and a terrarium section. With fresh and saltwater aquariums containing a diverse range of life, it really is a place of wonder and discovery. 

From eels to cichlids, jellyfish to octopuses, you’ll be amazed by how many sea creatures there are to see. You can have more unique experiences by popping into the vivarium during feeding times, which they open to zoo visitors three times a week. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even walk and waddle with the penguins during winter from November to February!

Video: YouTube / pinay_swiss

Dive into the best aquariums in Switzerland

Are you ready to have a whale of a time? Now you can with these wonderful underwater worlds. Do you have a favourite aquarium in Switzerland? Use the comments below to tell us about it!