9 aquariums in Germany to dive into

If you’re looking to have a whale of a time during bad weather or school holidays, a visit to an aquarium in Germany might do just the trick! With various ocean life to amaze the whole family, it will be more than enough to keep you entertained. 

Visit an aquarium in Germany

If you can't get enough of museums, zoos and national parks, and you want another fix of the natural world, you might be considering a visit to an aquarium in Germany. Luckily, you have this list of nine fin-tastic aquariums to visit. Let’s dive in! 

Aquarium Berlin

You can see an amazing range of animal life at Aquarium Berlin. From sharks and giant turtles to seahorses and a whole lot of fish, immerse yourself in an underwater world of wonder at one of the biggest aquariums in Germany. Visitors can also be amazed by the reptiles and other curious creatures that the aquarium hosts. 

Aquarium Berlin is home to 30 different jellyfish species and breeds one of the largest varieties of jellyfish in the world, so be prepared to be wowed by their luminescent beauty. The aquarium located in the heart of Berlin also offers tours and experiences to satisfy any inquisitive visitors, including shark and crocodile feedings every Tuesday and Thursday.

As the aquarium is conveniently located near the Berlin Zoological Garden, you can pack your day full of fun experiences with animals that live in water and on land. 

Video: Zoologischer Garten Berlin / YouTube

SEA LIFE Konstanz

On the border between Switzerland and Germany lies SEA LIFE Konstanz, which has recently reopened after months of renovations. The Polar Adventure area is a special highlight of this SEA LIFE, where you can watch gentoo penguins waddle on ice and dive into water - and you might even sneak a peek at their adorable little chicks.

Along with many fun areas to explore, 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. 

SEA LIFE Oberhausen

If you want a closer view of sharks than you get from watching Shark Week, SEA LIFE Oberhausen will make your shark-filled dreams a reality. With the biggest shark nursery in Germany, the aquarium gives you a 360-degree view of blacktip reef sharks, blue-spotted ribbontail rays and a variety of tropical fish through a panoramic window in the 148 square metre shallow tank.

Sharks aren’t the only draw to this SEA LIFE location — there are also other animals to see, such as otters, seahorses and eels. Along with the SEA LIFE ocean tunnel, rockpools and feedings, SEA LIFE Oberhausen also has the Immersive Gamebox coming in December 2023. This allows players to tackle thrilling challenges in games surrounding them on the walls of the Gamebox while using their bodies to control their movements.

If you want to double the fun, you can get a combi ticket for SEA LIFE and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Oberhausen and save some money at the same time.

Video: YouTube / visitSEALIFE

SEA LIFE Speyer

Explore the world of corals at SEA LIFE Speyer, a special highlight of this aquarium. Get a panoramic view of the magnificent coral reef with hundreds of tropical fish and learn about their habitats. 

Breathtaking themed worlds allow you to take a trip to the Amazon, explore a shipwreck and visit the bottom of the North Sea. There is also an eight-metre underwater tunnel that lets you have eerily close encounters with nurse sharks and green sea turtles. 

For those brave enough, you can stroke a sea anemone, starfish or hermit crab in the touch pool at SEA LIFE Speyer. You can also attend feedings in the different sections of the aquarium where you can learn fascinating facts about different sea creatures. 

Ozeaneum Stralsund

In the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, you can buoy your spirits during dreary days with the marvellous exhibitions and aquaria of Ozeaneum Stralsund. The heart of the Ozeaneum is the Open Atlantic aquarium that contains a replica of a shipwreck where a variety of sea life make themselves at home. From sea bass to stingrays and sea breams to nurse sharks, you can make sure you see every critter from the two different viewing levels.

Explore the cold coral reefs of the North Sea aquarium and be awed by the life found in river mouths in the Baltic Sea aquarium. You can also pop up onto the roof terrace to visit the Humboldt penguins and watch them gobble up some fish during feeding time. 

A variety of exhibitions complement the aquaria by educating visitors with sight, sound and touch. You can even see true-to-scale models of whales and squid. There is also an exhibition especially for the kids to explore and play. 

Image credit: Martin Harms / Deutsches Meeresmuseum

Sylt Aquarium

On the island of Sylt, in Schleswig-Holstein, you will find a wide range of activities to fill your day at the Sylt Aquarium. Experience the North Sea and its inhabitants in a unique way with 18 creatively designed display tanks that give you a realistic view of how the different sea creatures live. You can try to spot as many aquatic animals as possible in rock crevices, watch fish swim in stimulated waves, and walk through the panoramic tunnel to see sharks and rays. 

The tropical aquarium displays an exotic rainbow of aquatic species in large cylindrical tanks, such as jewelled flagfish and Picasso triggerfish. With its own 10-metre tunnel, you can also see moray eels and an assortment of tropical sharks and rays. 

An adventure playground lets younger children use their imagination in teepee tents and on a mini race course. There is also a mini-golf course nearby the aquarium that can make for a fun side quest to an exciting day at the aquarium. 

Tiergarten Ulm

Just an hour away from Stuttgart, Tiergarten Ulm provides a great opportunity to combine a visit to a zoo and aquarium in one outing. Upon entering, visitors walk through the one-of-a-kind 18-metre-long Danube Tunnel and are surrounded by native cold-water fish such as catfish, carp and pike. 

Visitors can see a splash of colour in the tropical seawater area with corals, anemones and the Nemo-like fish that live among them. There is also a tropical freshwater area where you’re most likely to recognise the toothy piranhas. Access to the aquarium and zoo are both included in the entry ticket. 

Tropen-Aquarium Hagenbeck

If you’re looking for a full tropical experience, the Tropen-Aquarium Hagenbeck in Hamburg is just the place. As you walk through the tropical aquarium, you’ll discover four themed worlds: the tropical world, the cave world, the venomous snake village and the underwater world. While you may think that visiting an aquarium means you’ll only see animals that live in water, the Hagenbeck Tropical Aquarium provides a unique experience. 

The aquarium zoo is designed to show the animals in their natural environment and with as much freedom as possible so that visitors feel like they are in the middle of the animal’s natural habitat. From free-roaming ring-tailed lemurs to a lake with Nile crocodiles and one of the largest seawater facilities in Europe with the Great Shark Atoll, you’ll feel like you actually had an adventure in the tropics.

The tropical aquarium is located next to the Hagenbeck Zoological Garden, where you can spot even more wildlife. There is also a combo ticket to visit both the zoo and the aquarium for a full day of entertainment.

Image credit: ©Hagenbeck

SEA LIFE Munich 

Looking for an enjoyable outing at an aquarium in Munich? Within Olympia Park, you’ll find the SEA LIFE Munich aquarium, which has the largest variety of sharks in Germany. With pyjama cat sharks, zebra sharks, Japanese carpet sharks and more, you’ll be as happy as a clam while spotting as many sharks as possible. 

Along with the many areas to explore, such as the Coral Cave, Black Sea and Danube Delta, you can also enjoy a tropical breakfast at SEA LIFE Munich. This lets you experience a delicious breakfast in a tropical atmosphere before the aquarium officially opens. While you eat, you can get up close and personal with certain tropical animals such as stick insects and giant snails, and learn interesting facts about them. 

Make a splash!

You’re now ready for your very own aquatic adventure! With so many aquariums to choose from, which one are you going to visit first? Use the comments below to tell us about any other aquariums in Germany that you think deserve a visit!

Thumb image credit: Anke Neumeister / Deutsches Meeresmuseum