1. Trevi Fountain, Rome
Whoever throws a coin in this fountain returns to Rome. Many tourists appear to believe in this legend: Every year, around $1.14 million ends up in the basin. The Trevi Fountain is also very popular with filmmakers. The scene in the film La Dolce Vita, in which actress Anita Ekberg takes a bath in the fountain, is particularly well known. |
2. Fountains at Trafalgar Square, London
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Fountains ensure a better quality of life. They create atmosphere, and are often a meeting point. The fountains in Trafalgar Square, redeveloped in 1939 in memory of two admirals of the Royal Navy, are one such example. For many Londoners, the large square is the center of their city. Sitting on the edge of its fountains is one of the best ways to observe the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. |
3. Fountain of Warsaw, Paris
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With its basins, cascades, fountains and figures, the Warsaw Fountain in the Jardins du Trocadéro in Paris is a huge work of art. Especially impressive are the 20 cannons. At regular intervals, they shoot huge masses of water over 50 meters towards the Eiffel Tower into an elongated basin. Perfect for cooling off! |
4. Water games in Peterhof, Saint Petersburg
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Near Saint Petersburg, Tsar Peter the Great had his own version of the French palace Versailles built at the beginning of the 18th century, the Peterhof. The result is a magnificent summer residence with an impressive fountain system that is demonstrated every day at 11 a.m., when 30,000 liters of water per second shoot through around 150 fountains! |
5. Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, Barcelona
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The Font Magica at the foot of Montjuïc hill was built in 1929 for the World Exhibition in Barcelona. Stunning in the evenings, the fountain's most impressive features are highlighted by music and light effects. Around 2,000 liters of water rush through the nozzles every second. The experience is, as the name suggests, magical! |
6. Jet d'Eau, Geneva
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The Water-Jet shoots 140 meters into the air. Initially, Geneva's landmark was not planned as an attraction, but rather served as a safety valve for a hydraulic power network, and was set further downstream. When the city noticed what a spectacle the fountain caused, it was moved to its present location in the lake and the water pressure increased. |
7. Water games in the Wilhelmshöhe Bergpark, Kassel
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High above Kassel lies the Wilhelmshöhe Mountain Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 because of its Baroque garden design. A central element are the water games, which are shown from May to October. For an hour the water flows over cascades and down the mountain. The grand finale is a 50-meter-high geyser shooting into the sky. |
8. The Giant, Wattens
It is one of Austria's most popular sights: the giant in Wattens near Innsbruck, a fountain and also a museum for crystal works of art. Created by multimedia artist André Heller, it is inspired by the story of a giant who set out to experience the world with all its treasures. He retired in Wattens and has been watching over his chambers of curiosities ever since. |
9. Tap Fountain, Menorca
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How could this be? Does the faucet float in the air? This fountain on Menorca fascinates and amazes; the water seems to bubble out of nowhere. But this is not a miracle, but an illusion: the pipe is hidden by the falling water! There are several such floating taps; for example in Belgian Ypres and in the Spanish city of Cadiz. |
10. Manneken Pis, Brussels
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So small and yet so famous — and also so variable too! Manneken Pis is only 61 centimeters tall and yet a landmark of Brussels. The urinating bronze boy is naked but often costumed: Here he wears the regalia of the Order of St. Michael the Knight. He has about 1,000 outfits — each one with an open fly. |
Photos by Deutsche Welle