We’ve all heard of the famous Bellagio Fountains in Vegas, the ancient Trevi Fountain in Rome and even the Fountain of Wealth in Singapore. But have you ever seen these other fountain weirdos around the world?
Swarovski Fountain, Wattens
Just how much do you love your Swarovski? In Wattens, Austria, next to the company’s headquarters, you can explore a crystal theme park and museum known as Crystal Worlds. At the entrance, you’ll encounter this huge fountain face, The Giant, which spurts water from its mouth and supposedly has crystals in its eyes (not really, they just glow a little).
La Joute, Montreal
Want a little fire in your fountain? At Place Jean-Paul Riopelle in Montreal, the La Joute fountain is known for its bronze sculptures, as well as its ring of blazing fire, which burns for about seven minutes at a time.
Stravinsky Fountain, Paris
You’ll be mesmerised by the glorious colours and trickling waters of the Stravinsky fountain sculptures, which rest on Place Stravinsky, next to the Centre Pompidou. A dedication to Stravinsky himself, as well as his work, The Rite of Spring, it was erected in 1983 and is one of only three public fountains built in Paris since 1937.
Julie Penrose Fountain, Colorado Springs
Otherwise known as Continuum, this circular fountain beauty created by Bill Burgess and David Barber sits in America the Beautiful Park, complete with views of Pikes Peak Mountain. It sports over 360 water jets and also rotates slowly, representing the movement of water between Earth and the atmosphere. It was named after Julie Penrose, a local arts and culture philanthropist.
Tap Fountain, Menorca
Relaxing at the Santa Cala Galdana Resort on the Spanish island of Menorca means you’ll get to see this cool ‘illusion’ tap fountain, which seems to float in thin air. We’ll leave it up to you to guess how it works. You’ll also find similar floating taps in Belgium, the U.S. and Canada.
Charybdis Fountain, Sunderland
Wondering where to stay when in Sunderland, U.K.? How about at the Seaham Hall Hotel, where this fabulous fountain rests? Trapped inside a giant cylinder, the water in this fountain actually creates an air-core vortex and guests can climb the sculptured steps to look right into the churning waters from above.
Metalmorphosis Mirror Fountain, Charlotte
In North Carolina in the U.S., you’ll discover a mirrored fountainhead – the Metalmorphosis, designed by artist David Černý. This huge head sits in the Whitehall Technology Park and stands at 7 metres tall. Each layer of steel rotates 360 degrees, offering a truly unusual (but captivating) fountain-viewing experience.