La Fontaine des Elephants (Fountain of Elephants)
La Fontaine des Elephants (Fountain of Elephants)
La Fontaine des Elephants (Fountain of Elephants)
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4.0
726 reviews
Excellent
233
Very good
300
Average
172
Poor
15
Terrible
6
Adrien_Princeps
Chambery, France1 contribution
Oct 2023
This fountain is the emblematic feature of the city of Chambéry. At the middle of the place; sit a monument steeped in history. honoring the memory of one of the city's greatest men, the Comte de Boigne.
It's the ideal starting point for a gloabl tour of the city center.
It's the ideal starting point for a gloabl tour of the city center.
Written 18 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeanne70
Paris1,023 contributions
We were staying in Grenoble and I read in a guide about "La fontaine des elephants" in Chambery. Elephants in the Alps, it really made me curious and we made the trip from Grenoble by train just to see this fountain. The trip by train itself is very pleasant, less than one hour through nice landscape. When you arrive in Chambery, the station is really in town so you just have to walk a little to get to the fountain, which is in a pretty square. There are four full life size heads of elephants on each side of the fountain, and, from there, you see the pics of the Alps in the background, it is quite unusual. After seeing the fountain, you can walk in the old town, which is very pretty and stop to have coffee or lunch near the theatre, on a nice terrace. We found it was worth the trip, to see this fountain in memory of the elephants Hannibal brought to cross the Alps!
Written 22 February 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Southseabeach
Portsmouth, UK74 contributions
Apr 2016 • Friends
Most comments on here totally miss the main point of this fountain.
It has nothing to do with Hannibal and everything to do with local hero Benoit de Boigne - a career military man who made his fortune and name in India with the Marathas. He devoted the end of his life to charity in Chambéry, where he was born.
Locals initially hated it but have grown to love it. Because you can only see the front halves of the elephants the statue is nicknamed 'Les Quatre sans culs"...the four without backsides(but a bit stronger). This is a play on "Les quatre cents coups" - the 400 blows...a nouvelle vague film by Francois Truffaut, made in the late 50s
The set is 18m high, built in limestone. It's a curious and skilled superimposition of three monuments : a fountain, a column and a statue.
The fountain shows in its plane a cross of Savoy, represented by four elephants(made of cast iron) united by their rump.
Lit up in various colours at night.
It has nothing to do with Hannibal and everything to do with local hero Benoit de Boigne - a career military man who made his fortune and name in India with the Marathas. He devoted the end of his life to charity in Chambéry, where he was born.
Locals initially hated it but have grown to love it. Because you can only see the front halves of the elephants the statue is nicknamed 'Les Quatre sans culs"...the four without backsides(but a bit stronger). This is a play on "Les quatre cents coups" - the 400 blows...a nouvelle vague film by Francois Truffaut, made in the late 50s
The set is 18m high, built in limestone. It's a curious and skilled superimposition of three monuments : a fountain, a column and a statue.
The fountain shows in its plane a cross of Savoy, represented by four elephants(made of cast iron) united by their rump.
Lit up in various colours at night.
Written 18 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan S
585 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
It is a special Fountain in the town of Chambery. Elephants all around. It reminds you of India. You can sit there peacefully and relax in front of the fountain.
Written 8 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FrancheComptoise
Chambery, France73 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
You can't visit Chambéry without going to see 'the Elephants'. It's a memorial to a local man who made his fortune in India. The local nickname for it is 'les quatre sans-culs' (The 4 with no backsides). :)
Written 22 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie O
Drogheda, Ireland12 contributions
Jan 2014 • Solo
Important landmark in Chambéry; great monument with a funny local story behind it. Turns into fountain in the summer. A Must-See if you ever go to Chambéry!!
Written 28 April 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pete
Fredericksburg, VA1,200 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
“One of the town’s emblematic monuments, this fountain was built in 1838 to pay tribute to General de Boigne, a major benefactor of Chambéry, his native town.”
It looks much larger in the photos, while standing next to it, I thought it seemed shorter. It occupies a very convenient location between major crossroads going through the city.
It looks much larger in the photos, while standing next to it, I thought it seemed shorter. It occupies a very convenient location between major crossroads going through the city.
Written 17 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark N
Loughborough, UK552 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
It’s apparently what Chambery is famous for a fountain with four elephants sans derrière.
A nice quirky monument and well worth a stroll down the pedestrian street to view it.
I had to look up the details of why etc and suggest you do the same after your visit.
Great day
A nice quirky monument and well worth a stroll down the pedestrian street to view it.
I had to look up the details of why etc and suggest you do the same after your visit.
Great day
Written 17 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
subterranean_jack
Phoenix522 contributions
June 2019 • Family
There may be bigger fountains with more water flowing, but this fountain has elephants! It is really cool, and there are plenty of shops and restaurants around to supplement your exploration of Chambery. And, there are some very photogenic elephants!!!
Written 18 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stephiepepsi
dubai505 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
It's ok but not like wow the highlight of all of chambery. It's pretty much a nice statue in the middle of a small square where people gather and sit.
Written 12 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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