Photo: other places, Fountain Mile, North Rhine-Westphalia

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Fountain Mile: "Washing Machine" and "Grinder"

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One of the most striking sights of Duisburg of the new time is a complex of six fountains installed on the street Königstraße in the center of Duisburg. Its unofficial name is "Fountain Mile» (Brunnenmeile). At each fountain there is a "guardian" of the number of local companies.

The fountain built in 1983 became the starting point of the Fountain Mile. The townspeople affectionately nicknamed it a "Washing Machine". It is steel cylinders standing on each other with water flowing on top of them. The combination of steel and water reminds of Duisburg’s key industries: steel industry and shipping.

“Water Mill” fountain (Wassermühle) is just a few meters away. Its nickname, popular among the citizens, is "Grinder." The small square-shaped fountain is decorated with bronze figures of fanciful plants and animals.

The third fountain codenamed "Shower Head" is a beginner in the Fountain Mile, which was opened in September 2008. It consists of 160 stainless steel taps set into a rectangular granite base. The height of the water spurting out of every tap varies from 15 to 75cm. At night the fountain is illuminated from below, making it quite spectacular.

The fountain “Urban Landscape” (Stadtbild) built of concrete and ceramics is onward along Königstraße. The contour of its base repeats the outlines of Duisburg, although visitors are unlikely to guess about it by themselves.

Fountain "Rescuer" by famous French painter and sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle is perhaps the most famous fountain in Duisburg. A bright colored sculpture is erected at its center depicting a huge bird with a woman clinging with hands and feet to it. The sculpture is on a rotating stand from scrap metal and, according to one version - the most decent, represents the prominence over the commonness and the flight to dreams and fantasies. The statue is 7.20 meters high. The attitude of Duisburg’s residents to this work varies. But tourists love to be photographed against the fountain.

The last fountain of the "Mile" is the "Masks Ships” (Schiffsmasken). Duisburg port served as a source of inspiration for it. The fountain is decorated with three black sculptures, representing views of a ship from the front. With their shape, they also resemble theatrical masks (hence its name) and Gothic roofs.

Fountain Mile: "Washing Machine" and "Grinder"

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