Pairi Daiza

Pairi Daiza is a privately owned zoo and botanical garden located in Cambron-Casteau, part of the municipality of Brugelette, in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The park covers roughly 75 hectares (about 190 acres) and is home to more than 7,000 animals, making it one of the largest establishments of its kind in Europe.

Where does the name Pairi Daiza come from?

The park's name derives from the Avestan word pairi daēza, meaning an enclosed space or garden. Through Persian, this same term is the linguistic source of the word "paradise" used across many European languages. The choice of name reflects the park's underlying concept: an enclosed, harmonious world bringing together nature, animals, and architecture.

On what site was the park built?

Pairi Daiza occupies the grounds of the former Cistercian Cambron Abbey. This historic setting gives the park a distinctive character, blending architectural heritage with a modern zoo-and-garden concept. Because the former abbey buildings and grounds sit within the park's boundaries, visitors move through a landscape where monastic history and nature exhibits exist side by side.

What kind of attraction is Pairi Daiza?

Pairi Daiza combines two functions at once: it is both a zoo and a botanical garden. This dual identity sets it apart from conventional zoos — alongside animal enclosures, visitors encounter carefully arranged green spaces, making the park a large themed landscape uniting fauna and flora. Its scale, roughly 75 hectares, allows for numerous themed zones and naturalistic habitats spread across the grounds.

Where exactly is Pairi Daiza located?

The park lies in Cambron-Casteau, a locality within the municipality of Brugelette, in the province of Hainaut, part of Wallonia — the French-speaking southern region of Belgium. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 50.585° N, 3.887° E, placing it in western Belgium, an area with a long agricultural and monastic history.

How many animals live at Pairi Daiza?

With more than 7,000 animals on site, Pairi Daiza ranks among the larger zoological collections on the continent by sheer number of individual animals. This scale reflects the extensive, privately managed grounds on which the park operates.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pairi Daiza just a zoo? No — it is officially described as both a zoo and a botanical garden, combining animal exhibits with landscaped plant displays on the same site.

Where is Pairi Daiza located? In Cambron-Casteau, part of the municipality of Brugelette, in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium.

Where does the park's name come from? From the Avestan word pairi daēza, which via Persian gave rise to the word "paradise" — reflecting the idea of an enclosed garden.

What historic site is the park built on? The former Cistercian Cambron Abbey, adding a layer of historical significance alongside the park's natural attractions.

How large is the park? Approximately 75 hectares (190 acres), home to more than 7,000 animals.