Stork Fountain, Copenhagen

Copenhagen has no shortage of statues, but when it comes to fountains, there aren't that many. The latter fact makes the Stork Fountain on Amager Square particularly noticeable. The fine inlaid Italian granite stonework stands amid the old buildings, the oldest of which dates back to 1600.

Designed as a present to Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Louise for their silver wedding jubilee (or 25th anniversary), the Stork Fountain was unveiled in 1894.

The Stork Fountain's design is truly unique, with its key elements being the three storks ready to take flight. Decorated with aquatic plant reliefs, the fountain also features bronze frogs on dock leaves which add a whimsical touch, spewing jets of water into the basin. In 2008, the Danish Ornithological Society officially debunked an urban myth that the depicted birds were herons, confirming that they are indeed storks.

The most familiar tale about the storks' role in bringing babies was written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1838. These birds know "the pond in which all the little children lie, waiting till the storks come to take them to their parents. The prettiest little babies lie there dreaming more sweetly than they will ever dream in the time to come. All parents are glad to have a little child, and children are so pleased with a little brother or sister."

In 1950, Danish midwife students started a tradition of dancing around the fountain as part of their graduation ritual. To see it, come in mid-summer when graduates come by the truckload to dance around and wade or swim in the fountain. Just grab a table with a good view of the fountain in a nearby restaurant in the early evening and wait for the show to start!