Surrounded by mustard fields, Woinic, the largest boar in the world, is a giant steel beast that stands as both a roadside curiosity, and as a symbol of the Ardennes region in general.  

Standing over 30 feet tall, and almost 50 feet long, the wild boar named Woinic is a quite a creature. The giant animal was created by sculptor Eric Sléziak who unleashed the beast in 2008. Woinic is made of a skin of steel sheets welded together over a hollow frame, weighing in at over 50 tons. There is even a trapdoor to his insides, located like an achilles heel on the underside of his belly. Remarkably the massive creation took Sléziak over a decade to create.

When the monumental attraction was unveiled, Woinic slowly made his way to his hilltop home on the back of a flatbed truck. His proud march was spectated on by crowds from all around the Ardennes area, and the big pig was permanently installed on a rotating platform where he stands to this day. 

Woinic (who received his name via a combination of Sléziak’s parents’ names) still stands sentinel at a rest stop just off the French highway Autoroute A 34.