Monkey Mountain Kintzheim

The Monkey Mountain ("Affenberg") Kintzheim - La Montagne des Singes in French - is located in the forest at the foot of the Hochkönigsburg in Alsace. The 24-hectare outdoor enclosure is home to more than 200 Barbary macaques. The park is open to visitors from late March to early November.

The circular path that leads through the park offers guests the best observation opportunities, but also allows the animals to retreat to rest areas. In this way, Monkey Mountain creates natural living conditions in which the primates behave almost as they would in the wild.

Anyone with questions about the Barbary macaques can ask the park staff. Especially during the feedings, which take place every 45 minutes, the staff tell interesting facts about the life and behavior of the macaques.

The Kintzheim Monkey Mountain was opened in 1969. Barbary macaques are the only African macaque species. They originate from Morocco and Algeria. There they live in mountainous forest regions up to over 2000 meters, which is why they can cope with winter temperatures here and live outside all year round.

In the wild, their conspecifics are highly endangered. Barbary ape populations in North Africa have plummeted dramatically in recent decades due to habitat destruction and the illegal trade in baby apes. Therefore, Kintzheim Monkey Mountain provides a valuable reserve population. Thanks to the close-to-nature husbandry, groups can be repeatedly released into the wild in Morocco, thus strengthening the wild populations. Since 1972, the Kintzheim Monkey Mountain has also been used for primate research. Above all, the social behavior of the animals is the focus of the scientists.

By car
The Affenberg Kintzheim is located between Strasbourg and Colmar near the German-French border. From Freiburg you take the A5 direction Karlsruhe until the exit Riegel. From Riegel am Kaiserstuhl you drive past Endingen and cross the Rhine at Sasbach. In France you follow the D424 until Schlettstadt. At the roundabout you take the third exit, drive on the D159 to Kintzheim and pass the bird observatory. Then turn right to the Montagne des Singes. There is a parking lot on site.

By public transport
The nearest train station is in Sélestat (Schlettstadt). From there, the Haut-Koenigsbourg shuttle bus will take you to the bird-viewing station (La Volerie des Aigles), to the Monkey Mountain as well as to the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle (Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg). With the shuttle bus ticket you get a discount on the entrance fee.