The Glaselefant is Hamm's most iconic structure — a 30-metre glass elephant that sits in the middle of the Maximilianpark on the site of a former coal mine. You can ride an elevator up through the elephant's body to reach a viewing platform in the torso, with views over the park and the surrounding city. There is also a restaurant inside the elephant at ground level.
It sounds absurd, and it is — in a completely charming way. The Glaselefant has none of the pretension of landmark architecture and all of the appeal of something built for pure delight. The Maximilianpark surrounding it is a well-maintained garden landscape with a butterfly house, tropical greenhouses in the old mine buildings, and pleasant walks through former industrial structures colonised by plants.