Singing Fountain - Mariánské Lázně

Have you ever seen the Singing Fountain?

The Singing Fountain is one of the dominants of Mariánské Lázně for many years and is one of the most visited attractions in the spa town. With a bit of exaggeration, it can be compared to Prague´s Old Town astronomical clock, with crowds of tourists waiting for its tones to sound at all odd hours. The fountain is located at the southern end of the Main colonnade next to the statue of one of the city founders - the abbot of the Teplá monastery Karel Kašpar Reitenberger.

The Singing Fountain was built in the years 1982 - 1986 as part of the reconstruction of the promenade in Mariánské Lázně. The author of the architectural design is the academic architect Pavel Mikšík from Bratislava. Architectural and technical cooperation was provided by Ing. Arch. Dr. Otakar Kuča and Ing. Pavel Janeček. The Singing Fountain consists of a shallow circular pool bowl eighteen meters in diameter. A twelve-piece flower-like stone sculpture with a polished steel center was placed in the middle of the pool. The rim of the entire fountain, tiles and sculptures were made of Liberec granite. The fountain has ten basic spray systems with more than 250 nozzles. The dominant medium spray reaches a height of about six meters.

The Singing fountain in Mariánské Lázně has become an icon and a pioneer of light water shows not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the whole of Europe and even across the pond. Its immense popularity has led to the organisation of bus tours from neighbouring towns and abroad, which only proves its uniqueness and appeal. The success of the Singing Fountain has inspired many other similar projects. Among the most famous are the Křižík Light Fountain in Prague in 1991 and the reconstruction of the Singing Fountain in Košice in 1996. Interest in similar fountains was also shown in Germany, France, Russia and the USA.

Miroslav Horníček was one of the many visitors who were deeply moved by the fountain. In his "Letter to Water" he described the concert as an unforgettable experience that evoked strong emotions.

The site of today´s Singing Fountain was originally an avenue of old Canadian poplars, which have provided shade for visitors since the town´s founding.

Singing Fountain and its compositions

The Singing Fountain was sung for the first time on April 30, 1986, and the first composition "Music for the Fountain" was composed for it by the well-known Czech composer Petr Hapka. Hapka´s Music for the Fountain was the only musical accompaniment to the fountain throughout the first year. Later were other compositions and works by Frederik Chopin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák and others added. With the passage of time, we can state that Petr Hapka left an extraordinary mark on Mariánské Lázně. His introductory composition for the fountain is still considered the unofficial anthem of the city. Therefore, it is no wonder that Mariánské Lázně decided to honor his memory after the death of Petr Hapka (2014) and at the same time thank him for the very first song for the Singing Fountain. As part of the ceremonial opening of the spa season in 2017, its bronze bust with a piano-shaped pedestal from the workshop of the artist Albert Králíček from Nová Paka was unveiled at the fountain. The Singing Fountain currently has 12 songs in its repertoire. Eight songs alternate throughout the season in regular order. The remaining four compositions are included in the program only on special festive occasions.

Accessibility and operation of the Singing Fountain:

The Singing Fountain always wakes up from hibernation on April 30. So it sings daily from May to the end of October, every odd hour from seven o´clock in the morning. In the evening at 21:00 and 22:00, don´t miss the screening of the Singing Fountain with colorful lighting. Due to the weather, the operation is terminated every year at the turn of October and November.