Affenberg Landskron, Monkey sanctuary in Villach, Austria.
Affenberg Landskron is a facility in Villach where roughly 180 Japanese macaques live in a wooded area spanning about 4 hectares. The animals move freely through ponds and climbing structures distributed throughout their natural surroundings.
The facility was founded in 1996 and experienced an unexpected event in its opening year when a large number of macaques escaped the enclosure. It took six weeks to capture and return all the animals.
The facility serves as a research center where universities study how Japanese macaques behave in semi-open conditions. Visitors can watch these primates interact with each other and follow their natural habits throughout the day.
Visits are organized as guided tours lasting about 45 minutes, allowing you to watch the macaques during their daily activities. The grounds are mostly flat and suitable for regular walking shoes, so you can explore the facility without much physical effort.
During the warmer months, you can see Japanese macaques swimming and diving in the two ponds on the grounds. This behavior shows how well these animals are adapted to water activities, which is not common among all monkey species.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
