Sovereign Cities of Europe Quiz

100 questions · by Qwiz Rush

Sovereign Cities of Europe Quiz is a free 100-question multiple choice, letters and numbers quiz on Qwiz Rush, made by Qwiz Rush, split into 10 rounds. Test your knowledge of the rich history, iconic landmarks, and cultural legacy of Europe's most famous capital cities.

Host it live for friends, family, a class or a quiz night: everyone joins with a game code on their own device, no app needed. Or play it solo with Free Play and see how many you get right.

Every question runs on a 10-second countdown and the fastest correct answers score the most. All the questions and their choices are listed below so you can see what the quiz covers; the answers are revealed in the game. Want to change something? Make your own copy and edit it in your library.

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The 100 questions

Which famous palace in Vienna, Austria, served as the principal summer residence of the Habsburg rulers and is known for its stunning Baroque architecture and vast gardens?
- Hofburg Palace
- Schönbrunn Palace
- Belvedere Palace
- Mirabell Palace
The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family, but in which smaller palace on the outskirts of Madrid do King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia actually reside?
- Palace of Zarzuela
- Palace of El Pardo
- Palace of Aranjuez
- El Escorial
Which Russian imperial palace, located in Saint Petersburg, served as the official residence of the Russian monarchs from 1732 until the fall of the monarchy in 1917?
- Peterhof Palace
- Catherine Palace
- Winter Palace
- Pavlovsk Palace
Located within the Prague Castle complex, which historic hall is famous for its massive late-Gothic rib-vaulted ceiling and was historically used for coronation banquets and indoor jousting tournaments?
- Vladislav Hall
- Spanish Hall
- Rudolph Gallery
- St. Vitus Hall
Which royal palace, built in the 19th century, serves as the official residence and principal workplace of the reigning Norwegian monarch in Oslo?
- Akershus Castle
- Oscarshall
- Bygdøy Royal Farm
- Det Kongelige Slott
The Palace of Holyroodhouse serves as the official residence of the British monarch in which European capital city?
- Belfast
- Cardiff
- Edinburgh
- London
In what year did the French Revolution force King Louis XVI and his family to permanently abandon the Palace of Versailles?

Answer with a number.
In what year did a catastrophic fire destroy the Palace of Whitehall in London, which was the main residence of the English monarchs at the time?

Answer with a number.
Identify the opulent baroque palace complex in Dresden, Germany, built under Augustus the Strong, which today houses world-famous museums including the Old Masters Picture Gallery.

Answer with a letter.
Name the historic palace in Rome that serves as the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, having previously served as a residence for Popes and Kings of Italy.

Answer with a letter.
Which famous river flows directly through the center of Paris, dividing the city into the Left and Right Banks?
- Loire
- Rhône
- Seine
- Garonne
Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is famously divided into its historic Buda and Pest sides by which major European river?
- Danube
- Rhine
- Elbe
- Vistula
The historic capital city of Prague is situated on the banks of which river, immortalized in a famous symphonic poem by Bedřich Smetana?
- Oder
- Vltava
- Tisza
- Spree
Which ancient river flows through the heart of Rome, the capital of Italy?
- Po
- Arno
- Adige
- Tiber
The capital of Portugal, Lisbon, lies at the mouth of which major Iberian river as it empties into the Atlantic Ocean?
- Tagus
- Douro
- Guadiana
- Ebro
Through which capital city does the River Spree flow, passing landmarks such as Museum Island?
- Vienna
- Warsaw
- Berlin
- Brussels
In what year was the Thames Barrier, a vital flood defense system constructed across the river in London, officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II?

Answer with a number.
How many sovereign national capital cities does the Danube River flow directly through?

Answer with a number.
What is the name of the longest river in Poland, which flows directly through the capital city of Warsaw?

Answer with a letter.
What is the name of the main river that flows through the center of Dublin, Ireland, dividing the city's Northside and Southside?

Answer with a letter.
According to Roman mythology, which twin brothers founded the sovereign city of Rome in 753 BC after being raised by a she-wolf?
- Romulus and Remus
- Castor and Pollux
- Amphion and Zethus
- Pelias and Neleus
In the legendary contest for the patronage of Athens, which Greek goddess won the city's devotion by offering the citizens the first domesticated olive tree?
- Athena
- Hera
- Artemis
- Aphrodite
Which Christian stonemason, fleeing religious persecution under Emperor Diocletian, is credited with founding the sovereign state of San Marino on Mount Titano?
- Saint Marinus
- Saint Blaise
- Saint Spyridon
- Saint Devota
According to ancient myth, which Greek demigod constructed the port of Monaco, leading to its ancient name of 'Portus Herculis'?
- Hercules
- Perseus
- Theseus
- Achilles
According to legend, Venice was founded at noon on March 25 with the dedication of which church, traditionally considered the city's oldest?
- San Giacomo di Rialto
- San Marco
- Santa Maria della Salute
- San Giorgio Maggiore
The ancient sovereign city-state of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) was founded in the 7th century by refugees fleeing the destruction of which nearby Roman city?
- Epidaurum
- Salona
- Narona
- Doclea
According to the traditional calculations of Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro, in what year BC was the city of Rome founded?

Answer with a number.
In what year AD was the sovereign republic of San Marino traditionally founded?

Answer with a number.
Name the hill, located across the Tiber River from the traditional seven hills of Rome, which serves as the ancient burial site of St. Peter and the foundation of the modern sovereign city-state.

Answer with a letter.
Name the legendary Greek founder of Byzantium, who consulted the Oracle of Delphi before establishing the historic city at the Golden Horn.

Answer with a letter.
Which Italian architect designed London's iconic 72-story skyscraper, The Shard?
- Renzo Piano
- Norman Foster
- Richard Rogers
- Zaha Hadid
What is the official street address name of the distinctive London skyscraper colloquially known as "The Gherkin"?
- 30 St Mary Axe
- 20 Fenchurch Street
- 122 Leadenhall Street
- 110 Bishopsgate
Completed in 1989, which monumental high-rise arch stands at the heart of Paris's La Défense business district?
- Grande Arche de la Défense
- Arc de Triomphe
- Monument à la Défense
- Tour First
Built for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, the Atomium represents a unit cell of which chemical element's crystal structure, magnified 165 billion times?
- Iron
- Copper
- Aluminum
- Silicon
Standing at 310 meters tall, the Varso Tower is the tallest building in the European Union. In which sovereign European capital city is it located?
- Warsaw
- Prague
- Bratislava
- Budapest
Designed by French architect Dominique Perrault, the distinctive, wavy-faced DC Tower 1 is the tallest skyscraper in which European capital?
- Vienna
- Berlin
- Brussels
- Amsterdam
How many steel spheres make up the iconic Atomium monument in Brussels?

Answer with a number.
In what year was the Eiffel Tower in Paris officially completed and opened for the World's Fair?

Answer with a number.
Name the world-renowned Spanish neo-futuristic architect who designed the Montjuïc Communications Tower in Barcelona and the Athens Olympic Sports Complex.

Answer with a letter.
Name the capital city of Iceland which is home to the striking, glass-faceted Harpa Concert Hall.

Answer with a letter.
Opened in 1863, the world's oldest underground passenger railway was constructed in London. Which historic line was the very first to open to the public?
- Metropolitan Line
- District Line
- Central Line
- Northern Line
Budapest's historic Line 1, the oldest electrified underground railway on the European continent, was built to celebrate which major milestone?
- The millennium of the Hungarian state
- The coronation of Emperor Franz Joseph
- The unification of Buda, Obuda, and Pest
- The signing of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise
In what year did the Paris Métro open its very first line, timed to coincide with the Paris World's Fair (Exposition Universelle)?

Answer with a number.
The early stations of the Berlin U-Bahn, designed by architect Alfred Grenander, were heavily influenced by which popular artistic and architectural movement of the early 1900s?
- Art Nouveau
- Brutalism
- Gothic Revival
- Constructivism
Name the capital city of Russia whose historic underground transit system, opened in 1935, is world-famous for its palatial station designs featuring chandeliers, mosaics, and socialist realist art.

Answer with a letter.
Which pioneering Austrian Secessionist architect designed the iconic Art Nouveau station pavilions at Karlsplatz for the historic Vienna Stadtbahn in the late 1890s?
- Otto Wagner
- Adolf Loos
- Gustav Klimt
- Friedensreich Hundertwasser
The Glasgow Subway, opened in 1896, is one of the oldest underground transit systems in the world. How many stations are located along its unique, 10.5-kilometer circular route?

Answer with a number.
Opened in 1919 by King Alfonso XIII, the Madrid Metro features a famous 'ghost station' that was closed in 1966 and later preserved as a historic museum. What is the name of this station?
- Chamberí
- Tirso de Molina
- Atocha
- Gran Vía
Name the capital city of Greece whose historic underground railway system features mini-museums inside central stations like Syntagma, displaying ancient antiquities excavated during construction.

Answer with a letter.
What is the name of the historic funicular railway in Lisbon, Portugal, that has been climbing the steep slope between Praça dos Restauradores and Bairro Alto since 1885?
- Elevador da Glória
- Elevador de Santa Justa
- Elevador da Bica
- Elevador do Lavra
Which iconic Viennese hotel and cafe is world-famous for its original chocolate sponge cake filled with apricot jam, a recipe that sparked a decades-long legal battle with Café Demel?
- Hotel Sacher
- Hotel Imperial
- Café Central
- Café Landtmann
In which historical civil parish of Lisbon can you find the famous pastry shop that has been baking the original Portuguese custard tart since 1837?
- Belém
- Alfama
- Bairro Alto
- Baixa
Established in 1760 near the Spanish Steps in Rome, which historic cafe has served famous patrons such as Casanova, Goethe, and Keats?
- Antico Caffè Greco
- Caffè Florian
- Caffè Gambrinus
- Caffè San Marco
Which classic French bistro dish, consisting of beef braised in red wine, beef stock, carrots, onions, and garlic, is traditionally associated with Burgundy but remains a staple of Parisian brasseries?
- Boeuf Bourguignon
- Coq au Vin
- Cassoulet
- Pot-au-Feu
Unlike its denser, caramelized counterpart from Liège, the traditional Brussels waffle is famous for which characteristic?
- A light, crispy batter with clean rectangular pockets
- A thick yeast dough embedded with pearl sugar
- A filling of spiced apple compote
- A savory topping of melted Gruyère cheese
Often described as "the most beautiful cafe in the world," which historic Budapest establishment features Italian Renaissance-style frescoes, gilded stucco columns, and majestic chandeliers?
- New York Café
- Gerbeaud Café
- Ruszwurm Confectionery
- Central Café
In what year was the famous Hofbräuhaus am Platzl in Munich, one of the city's oldest beer halls and culinary landmarks, originally founded by the Duke of Bavaria?

Answer with a number.
In what year did Caffè Florian, widely considered the oldest continuously operating coffee house in the world, open under the arcade of the Procuratie Nuove in Venice?

Answer with a number.
What is the name of the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world, located in Madrid, Spain, famous for its roast suckling pig cooked in an ancient wood-fired oven?

Answer with a letter.
What is the name of the oldest continuously operating cafe in Tallinn, Estonia, famous for its historic marzipan museum room and hand-painted marzipan figurines?

Answer with a letter.
Which 1929 treaty between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See established Vatican City as an independent sovereign state?
- Lateran Treaty
- Treaty of Rome
- Concordat of 1801
- Treaty of Tolentino
The Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1918 established that if the reigning Prince of Monaco died without a direct heir, the principality would become a protectorate of which country?
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- Switzerland
In 1862, San Marino signed a crucial Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborly Relations that guaranteed its continued independence with which newly unified European nation?
- Italy
- Germany
- Austria-Hungary
- France
Andorra's unique system of co-principality was established in 1278 by a treaty known as the 'Pareatges' between the French Count of Foix and the Bishop of which Catalan city?
- Urgell
- Barcelona
- Girona
- Lleida
Which landmark 1864 international treaty, signed in a sovereign Swiss city-state, established the first laws protecting wounded soldiers and laid the foundation for the Red Cross?
- First Geneva Convention
- Treaty of Westphalia
- Treaty of Lausanne
- Locarno Treaties
The Free City of Danzig was established as a semi-autonomous sovereign city-state under the protection of the League of Nations by which major 1919 peace treaty?
- Treaty of Versailles
- Treaty of Saint-Germain
- Treaty of Trianon
- Treaty of Neuilly
In what year did the Holy See and Italy sign the historic concordat that officially created the modern sovereign city-state of Vatican City?

Answer with a number.
San Marino is recognized as the world's oldest surviving sovereign republic. In what year AD was it traditionally founded by Saint Marinus?

Answer with a number.
Name the sovereign European microstate situated in the Rhine Valley that gained full sovereignty in 1806 after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, and remains heavily integrated diplomatically and economically with Switzerland.

Answer with a letter.
Name the historic maritime republic and sovereign city-state, centered on the modern-day Croatian city of Dubrovnik, which maintained its independence through highly skilled diplomacy with the Ottoman Empire until it was annexed by Napoleon in 1808.

Answer with a letter.
Which London Royal Park is famous for its Speakers' Corner and the Serpentine Lake?
- Regent's Park
- Hyde Park
- St. James's Park
- Greenwich Park
Which expansive historic park in Madrid, originally created as a royal retreat for King Philip IV, features the Crystal Palace and a large artificial pond?
- El Retiro Park
- Casa de Campo
- Parque del Oeste
- Sabatini Gardens
Known for its artificial surfing wave on the Eisbach river, what is the name of Munich's massive public park that is larger than New York's Central Park?
- Hofgarten
- Olympiapark
- Englischer Garten
- Westpark
Created in 1612 by Marie de' Medici, which famous Parisian public garden surrounds the meeting place of the French Senate?
- Tuileries Garden
- Luxembourg Gardens
- Parc Monceau
- Jardin des Plantes
Which prominent landscape garden in Rome, containing a renowned art gallery with works by Bernini and Caravaggio, was developed by the Borghese family?
- Villa Borghese
- Villa Doria Pamphili
- Villa Ada
- Orto Botanico
What is the name of Vienna's large public park that is home to the famous Giant Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad) and a historic amusement park?
- Stadtpark
- Volksgarten
- Burggarten
- Prater
In what year did Hyde Park host the Great Exhibition, for which the famous Crystal Palace was constructed?

Answer with a number.
How many official Royal Parks are there in London, managed by the Royal Parks charity?

Answer with a number.
Name the massive walled park in Dublin, one of the largest enclosed recreational spaces in any European capital city, which contains the Dublin Zoo and the official residence of the President of Ireland.

Answer with a letter.
Name the historic amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark, which opened in 1843 and is one of the oldest operating amusement parks in the world.

Answer with a letter.
Which famous square in Brussels, Belgium, is globally renowned for its opulent baroque guildhalls and the striking Gothic Town Hall?
- Grand Place
- Place de la Concorde
- Dam Square
- Piazza Navona
The massive, semicircular Plaza de España, built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, is located in which European city?
- Madrid
- Seville
- Barcelona
- Valencia
Which iconic square in Moscow, Russia, separates the Kremlin from the historic merchant quarter known as Kitay-gorod?
- Red Square
- Palace Square
- Senate Square
- Manege Square
Facing the Tagus River, the grand Praça do Comércio is a central landmark of which European capital city?
- Lisbon
- Madrid
- Rome
- Athens
Which central London square features Nelson's Column guarded by four monumental bronze lions?
- Trafalgar Square
- Leicester Square
- Piccadilly Circus
- Parliament Square
Built on the site of the ancient Stadium of Domitian, which elegant Roman square features Gian Lorenzo Bernini's famous Fountain of the Four Rivers?
- Piazza di Spagna
- Piazza del Popolo
- Piazza Navona
- Campo de' Fiori
In what year did the devastating earthquake occur that destroyed Lisbon, including its royal palace on the site of today's Praça do Comércio?

Answer with a number.
In what year was King Louis XVI executed by guillotine in the Place de la Concorde (then known as Place de la Révolution)?

Answer with a number.
Identify the central square of Munich, Germany, which has been the city's main square since 1158 and features the famous Glockenspiel in its New Town Hall.

Answer with a letter.
Identify the central square of Athens, Greece, located in front of the 19th-century Old Royal Palace which now houses the Greek Parliament.

Answer with a letter.
Which European capital city is famous for its annual "Koningsdag" (King's Day) festival, featuring a city-wide orange-clad street party and flea markets?
- Brussels
- Copenhagen
- Amsterdam
- Luxembourg City
The annual "Fête de la Musique" (Make Music Day), which began in 1982 and has since spread globally, originated in which European capital?
- Rome
- Paris
- Brussels
- Madrid
Which European capital hosts the massive "Rave The Planet" parade, the spiritual successor to the iconic Love Parade electronic dance music festival?
- Berlin
- Vienna
- Prague
- Warsaw
The "Fiesta de San Isidro", featuring traditional dress, concerts, and festivals honoring the city's patron saint, is celebrated annually in which capital?
- Lisbon
- Rome
- Madrid
- Athens
The prestigious and historic "Opera Ball" (Opernball) is a glamorous annual society event held in which European capital city?
- Budapest
- Vienna
- Prague
- Bratislava
The "Lord Mayor's Show", one of the world's oldest and longest continuously running ceremonial parades dating back to the 13th century, takes place in which city?
- London
- Dublin
- Edinburgh
- Belfast
In what year did the first modern Olympic Games, which featured the inaugural parade of nations, take place in Athens?

Answer with a number.
In what year did the annual Eurovision Song Contest begin, which was first hosted in the Swiss city of Lugano?

Answer with a number.
What is the name of the historic royal residence in London that serves as the final destination for the annual Trooping the Colour parade?

Answer with a letter.
Name the grand, historic avenue in Paris that serves as the primary site for the famous Bastille Day military parade each year on July 14th.

Answer with a letter.

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The 100 questions

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