Hunt for Easter Eggs at the Opel Zoo

The Taunus area has its own zoo set in the hills. Kronberg's Opel Zoo is a 20-minute drive east on the B455 from Eppstein. If you have children, the annual pass (40 euros for adults; 15 euros for children) is worth it. My boys have always enjoyed bringing carrots to feed the animals, particularly the deer. It's nice that the animal signs are in both German and English.

The adventure playground is fantastic. Ropes to climb, poles to slide down, long winding tunnel slide. If you go early Saturday morning, your child can jump into the large ball pit without having to worry about jumping onto a toddler. There are also pony and camel rides, for which you have to pay extra (1,50-2 €).

The petting zoo area is quite big, which is the reason my children prefer the Opel Zoo to the Frankfurt Zoo. You can buy carrots at the zoo's entrance and food pellets from dispensers. But beware, I am somewhat traumatized from the time I went through the petting zoo's gates during the winter and the hungry animals stampeded me for the food--goats on their hind legs, hooves on my winter coat, sheep pushing towards me. I threw my pellets into the air and ran back out the gate.

The French fries from the kiosk at the playground are very tasty, but I would not recommend the cappuccino (instant) from the zoo restaurant in the center. You can enjoy a picnic at the zoo or even reserve a grill (06173/79749). Watching the gibbons play while eating at the snack bar on the water is fun, but for finer dining, there is a steakhouse overlooking the savannah with giraffes. You don't have to enter the zoo to enjoy the view from the steakhouse.

The Opel Zoo might not be the biggest zoo, but it is one of the most peaceful. During your stroll, you can observe Arctic foxes and owls, lamas, elephants and zebras, monkeys and parrots, turtles, fish, and much more. The scenery is beautiful, with the Falkenstein castle in the background, and a visit is refreshing rather than exhausting. On Easter, the zoo traditionally holds an Easter egg hunt (2010-April 4/5; 10-12:00).