Sababurg Wildlife Park

In the middle of the Reinhardswald forest, below Sababurg castle on its basalt knoll, lies a park that the Landgraves of Hesse had enclosed with a long stone wall back in the 16th century. Sababurg Wildlife Park was laid out as a game park in 1571 and is one of the oldest animal parks in Europe. Today more than 1,000 animals of around 80 species live on over 130 hectares, from deer and wild horses to lynx and birds of prey. Ancient oaks line the paths, and herds graze on wide meadows almost as if in open country.

History: from royal game park to wildlife park

From 1490 Landgrave William I turned the castle into a hunting lodge with a stud farm. His descendant William IV, a ruler with a keen interest in science, had the land enclosed between 1567 and 1571 with a dry-stone wall 5 km long and 3 m high. For hunting and study he stocked it with aurochs, fallow deer, white red deer, chamois, elk and reindeer, among others. The game park was closed to the public and is considered the first of its kind in Europe.

Around 1770 Landgrave Frederick II redesigned the park for par force hunting: six rides radiated in a star from a central circle to the wall. They survive today as oak avenues. Afterwards the park lost its purpose, was cleared of trees and served for a long time only as pasture for the horse stud at Beberbeck. It was only in 1973 that the district reopened it as a wildlife park, largely shaped by zoologist Hans Georg Picker. The old wall was restored along its entire length.

What to see

• Primeval wildlife area: Endangered native species and breeds bred to resemble extinct ancestors, such as Heck cattle and Heck horses, live here alongside Przewalski's horses, Exmoor ponies and mouflon.
• Deer from the landgraves' days: Red deer, fallow deer, maral, wapiti and Dybowski's sika deer recall the old hunting tradition.
• Predators: Lynx and wolves also live in the park, with special guided tours about them during school holidays.
• Bird of prey centre: On the slope of the castle hill there are feeding sessions and a flight show; the park's website shows the next times.
• Children's zoo and farm: Petting enclosures, rare domestic breeds and, since 2026, two domestic yaks.
• Central circle and avenues: From the circle in the southern part you look across the meadows up to Sababurg castle, a classic photo spot.

Good to know

To the west, the park borders the Sababurg primeval forest, Hesse's first nature reserve, with gnarled pasture oaks under which livestock once grazed. The layout still largely follows the Baroque plan: eight sections, six of them wildlife meadows of 10 to 20 hectares, are grouped around the avenues. The park museum covers its history and the so-called back-breeding of animal species.

Visiting and timing

Allow half a day for a walk round with the flight show and children's zoo. Distances are long, and a park train helps small children. There are places to eat and barbecue areas in the park. The contact enclosures close half an hour before the park.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

• April to September: 08:00–18:00
• October: 09:00–18:00
• March: 09:00–17:00
• November to February: 10:00–16:00
• Open as normal on public holidays
• Admission: adults €12, children from 4, pupils and students €7.50, family ticket for two adults with children €31

Day tickets can also be bought online.

Getting there and parking

The address is Sababurg 1, Hofgeismar. The park lies on the district road between Hofgeismar-Beberbeck and Trendelburg-Gottsbüren, and the entrance is in the north-west corner right by the car park. There are 550 free parking spaces, plus coach parking, an EV charging point and free spaces for campervans. Cyclists will find bike stands at the entrance and lockable compartments where e-bike batteries can be charged.