10 beautiful fountains around the world (besides Trevi)
Rome doesn't have a monopoly on beautiful fountains! Here are 10 wondrous water features worth adding to your bucket list.
The Archibald Fountain
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This fountain in Sydney’s Hyde Park commemorates the alliance between France and Australia during the First World War. The sculptures, which are all taken from Greek mythology, represent harmony and self-sacrifice.
The Unisphere
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This steel globe was created for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. Weighing 350 tonnes and surrounded by a series of single water-jet fountains, the Unisphere offers visitors a chance to cool off on hot summer days. There are plans afoot to create an entire water park with the fountain as its centrepiece.
The Warsaw Fountain
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Of all the fountains in the Jardin du Trocadéro in Paris, the highlight is the Warsaw Fountain with its 20 water cannons shooting water roughly 50 metres. Together with 56 smaller fountains and a dozen water columns, it also augments a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower.
The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
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Water, light and colour – the Magic Fountain in the south of Barcelona, certainly lives up to its name. An amazing 3620 jets of water and 4760 lights are synchronised with a musical score, creating this single gigantic fountain with its magical radiance.
The Villa d’Este
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This garden really packs a punch! The Villa d’Este in Tivoli near Rome is home to around 500 different fountains. The biggest and most impressive of them all is the Neptune Fountain, with its water jets on different levels shooting up several metres into the air. The deafeningly loud display delights countless numbers of tourists every year.
Dubai Mall Waterfall
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A waterfall in the middle of a shopping centre? That could only happen in the United Arab Emirates – at least on this scale! The Dubai Mall Waterfall is as tall as the shopping centre and cascades down all four levels. Particularly impressive are the more than a dozen lifelike fibreglass sculptures plunging headfirst into the pool.
The Fountain of Wealth
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Many fountains promise to bring visitors good luck, as long as they are willing to make an offering, or rather a small donation. In Singapore however, anyone seeking their fortune and happiness has only to place their hand into the water and walk three times around the Fountain of Wealth. Built according to the rules of feng shui, its inwardly flowing waters are said to award wealth and prosperity rather than demand the change in your pockets.
The Friendship of Nations Fountain
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Designed to create of national identity, the Friendship of Nations Fountain in Moscow, Russia, glorifies the 16 countries of the former Soviet Union. Each statue depicts a woman wearing her country’s national dress. They stand around a giant golden wheat sheaf and approximately 800 water jets in front of the All-Russia Exhibition Centre – truly spectacular!
Fountains of Bellagio
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Spanning more than 300 metres in length and shooting more than 150 metres in the air, the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas are a sight to behold. Every 30 minutes from Monday to Friday and every 15 minutes on weekends, visitors can watch a unique light show to a variety of music from classical, opera, Broadway to pop tunes. Each performance is uniquely choreographed, so you’ll never see the same one twice!
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Fountain
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Built during the Tang dynasty, the five-story Buddhist Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xian is one of China’s most beautiful attractions. It holds Asia’s largest musical fountain, which plays the beautiful Water Phantom of Tang symphony, and visitors can catch a spectacular light show after dark.
Written by Cornelia Kumfert and Erika Morris. This article first appeared in Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription offer.
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