The Montagne des Singes (Monkey Mountain) is a fabulous place to take your whole family for a half day. Located about 45 minutes from Basel, Montagne des Singes is a 24-hectare (60-acre) sanctuary for Barbary macaques, whose home is Morocco and Algeria but which have unfortunately been on the endangered species list since 2008. This park, which houses over 200 monkeys, serves also as a conservation and research center. Here the macaques live completely free in a treed park that mimics their natural habitat. You can walk the 0.8 km (½ mile) path in the park and come in close contact with the freely roaming monkeys. There are guides throughout the park that not only look out for the well-being of the animals but are also available and eager to answer your questions and comment on the behaviors that the monkeys are displaying. The guides feed the animals every 45 minutes while providing plenty of information about the species, making it a fun and informative activity to observe.

A new experience is a fun and educational trail called “Dans la peau d’un singe” that allows you to follow the footsteps of a monkey and wander through the forest along the apparatus while trying to reproduce certain behaviors of the monkeys. A succession of about 15 devices on the ground or in height, secured by nets, takes you closer to nature for a better understanding of the primates’ behavior. Here, you can climb like a magot, jump like a sifaka, swing like a gibbon, rest like a bonobo or even walk like a gorilla. It’s a great opportunity to discover the diversity of primates, from Berthe’s mouse lemur, the smallest known primate in the world, to the emblematic silverback gorilla! There is also a bird wall, where you can observe birds in their natural environment, as well as a biodiverse freshwater pond for newts.

A visit to this park is not only an unforgettable experience for the whole family, it helps to promote the survival of these animals; 600 of which have been reintroduced into the wild since the park’s inception in 1969.

In addition to practical information, their French, German, and English website provides plenty of fascinating and child-friendly information about this species of monkey. A visit to their website before heading out will make your visit to the park even more special!

The park is open daily from late March to mid-November, with opening hours from 10:00 to 17:00-18:00, depending on the season. Tickets (in 2026) are € 12 for adults and € 8 for children ages 5-14 years; younger kids are free.

Montagne des Singes is strategically placed near the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle (https://www.basellife.com/haut-koenigsbourg/) and the Volerie des Aigles (Eagle Park; https://www.basellife.com/la-volerie-des-aigles-eagle-park/), so consider visiting two or three of these magnificent outings in one trip.

https://www.montagnedessinges.com/en/

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