A unique elephant encounter in Nantes Jun 13, 2019

A unique elephant encounter in Nantes

Created by François Delarozière, Pierre Orefice, and their team of artists and engineers at La Machine Company workshop, the Grand Éléphant was the first of three artworks/attractions constructed for the Machines de l’île (Machines of the Isle) in Nantes. The elephant is a mechanical sculpture that’s so big it can take up to 49 passengers for a 45-minute walk. After unveiling the elephant in 2007 and the Carrousel des Mondes Marins (Marine World Carousel) in 2012, they"re now working on an ambitious third project, L’Arbre aux Hérons (Tree of Herons), scheduled for 2022. The efforts of these visionary creators have turned a shuttered industrial shipyard on the Loire River into a unique place where art, architecture, tourism, and urban planning come together to delight all who visit.

© Dutourdumonde Photography/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Jun 13, 2020A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
Jun 13, 2021Bear watching in the Finnish forest
Jun 13, 2022Okavango Delta, Botswana
Jun 13, 2023Okefenokee Swamp
Jun 13, 2024Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Jun 13, 2025Vila Franca Islet, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 16, 2020Summertime in Alaska
Feb 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
Mar 18, 2021A sizzling summit hides in the clouds
Oct 30, 2025Camels at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
Jun 4, 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eaters, Bardia National Park, Nepal
Jun 30, 2021An impactful day
Sep 18, 2020Homeward bound
Apr 28, 2018National Park Week: Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Feb 23, 2022Point Reyes National Seashore
Jan 16, 2025Anniversary of Pinnacles National Park, California
Dec 18, 2021Full moon
Jan 12, 2020The Zugspitze: Germany s highest point
Jan 20, 2026Penguin Awareness Day
Dec 7, 2023National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Nov 20, 2023World Childrens Day
Mar 5, 2022Mont-Saint-Michel
Jun 1, 2025World Reef Awareness Day
Dec 9, 2021Glowworm caves in Australia
May 5, 2025Cinco de Mayo
Dec 31, 2018A new tradition in London
Jun 18, 2019From garden to table?
Jan 31, 2025Happy International Zebra Day!
Sep 21, 2025Sea Otter Awareness Week
Dec 29, 2025St. Gregory Church in Ani Ruins, Kars, Türkiye
Dec 10, 2021Arctic fox in Norway
Mar 12, 2025Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Center-Val de Loire, France
Feb 19, 2025European river otter, Netherlands
Jul 25, 2018Splashes of color for Watercolor Month
Jun 13, 2020A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
Aug 31, 2025Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska