The Volerie des Aigles (Eagle Park) is located approximately one hour from Basel in the center of the Alsatian wine route, on a hilltop at the ruins of the Kintzheim Medieval castle. It houses over 250 birds of prey from roughly 40 different species of eagles, falcons, condors, buzzards, vultures, and owls. The Eagle Park provides visitors the unique opportunity to observe and admire the world’s finest and largest raptors, either on the ground or in flight, in an impressive show where emotions and thrills are sky-high.

The Volerie des Aigles was founded in 1968, after the population of these beautiful birds of prey had dropped significantly both as a result of a false and unjustified image, which led to wrongful trapping, hunting, and poisoning, and because of the development of human infrastructure such as electricity poles that impede the birds’ habitats. By touching the hearts of its visitors, the Volerie wants to increase awareness of these raptors and the importance of biodiversity and species conservation for our planet.

A visit to the park should take on average about 90 minutes, including about 40 minutes of shows, which are designed to educate spectators about the natural behavior of the birds—the acrobatic flight of the eagles, the speed of the falcons, the hovering nature of the buzzards, and the ingenuity of the vultures. While the shows are all presented in French, each shows’ dialogue is available on paper in English and German. The vaulted cellar of the castle has been restored and turned into an educational showroom where visitors can learn more about flight, reproduction, as well as the feathers and wings of the different raptors.

La Volerie des Aigles opens in early spring and entrance to the park costs € 12 for adults and € 8 for kids ages 5-14; reduced rates for students (with ID) and free for younger kids.

You can combine your trip to the Volerie des Aigles with a visit to the nearby Montagne des Singes (Monkey Mountain; https://www.basellife.com/montagne-des-singes-monkey-mountain/) or the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle (https://www.basellife.com/haut-koenigsbourg/), or simply visit the wine route and enjoy an Alsatian meal in one of the many quaint village restaurants.

https://www.voleriedesaigles.com

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