Haus des Meeres

A marvelous zoo, with a rain forest glasshouse, tiny apes, aquariums with sharks, and terrariums with reptiles and venomous snakes. Other highlights include an interesting exhibit of Mediterranean sea life and the aquarium's beloved sea turtle, "Puppi." The apes and birds are allowed to freely mingle with the visitors, but don't attempt to touch or feed them. It is in one of the surviving air raid defense towers from WWII, a so-called Flakturm. During wartime, the building provided fire control for Vienna's anti-aircraft artillery, housed some of the first radar equipment, and is designed to withstand a direct bomb hit, an earthquake, and wind speeds up to an overpressure of ten bar. Its former gun emplacements are now a platform on top affording nice views over the roofs of Vienna.

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