Singing Fountains (Sochi)

The Singing Fountains, officially the Olympic Flame Bowl, are located in Olympic Park in Sochi, Russia. The round bowl is 75 metres in diameter and holds 264 fountains, each with its own lighting, with jets of water rising up to 70 metres high. The bowl is shaped like a stylised firebird with a "fiery crest" and "mighty wings", and the Olympic flame burned at its centre during the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Building a light-and-music fountain here was not part of the original plan: after the Olympics, the structure was slated for demolition, but it was kept in the end and has become one of the city's main attractions. In the evening the bowl turns into a show of its own — jets of water dancing to music that draws large crowds; a shorter daytime show runs every half hour.

Entry to the fountain and to Olympic Park is free. You can get there by suburban train to Imeretinsky Kurort station (about 50 minutes from central Sochi), by bus No. 60, 100, 125s or 57, or by car along the M-4/M-24 highway, about 35 km from the city centre. It's roughly a 30-minute walk from the park's main entrance to the fountain, so it's worth arriving early to find a good spot.

The best viewing spots are right by the bowl or on the lawns around it. During the show, spray can reach quite a distance, so it's worth keeping that in mind when choosing what to wear.