Question 1 of 20Ancient sitesEasy
Landmarks of Europe quiz
From Roman amphitheaters to fairy-tale castles and gleaming modern museums, Europe is packed with buildings that tell a story. Test what you know about where they stand, who built them and why, with a fact after every answer.
A free quiz from Megan Moran, author of The Mighty Geography Quiz Book.
Question 2 of 20MonumentsEasy
The bronze Little Mermaid statue sits on the waterfront of which city?
Question 3 of 20BridgesMedium
Prague's Charles Bridge crosses which river?
Question 4 of 20Churches and cathedralsHard
Istanbul's Hagia Sophia was completed in AD 537 under which Byzantine emperor?
Question 5 of 20Churches and cathedralsEasy
Antoni Gaudí's unfinished basilica, the Sagrada Família, is in which city?
Question 6 of 20Modern architectureMedium
Brussels' Atomium was built as the centerpiece of which event?
Question 7 of 20Palaces and castlesMedium
Which French king transformed his father's hunting lodge at Versailles into a vast royal palace?
Question 8 of 20BridgesHard
The Millau Viaduct, a soaring cable-stayed bridge in southern France, spans the valley of which river?
Question 9 of 20MonumentsEasy
The Brandenburg Gate, topped by a chariot sculpture known as the Quadriga, is in which city?
Question 10 of 20Churches and cathedralsMedium
Construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa began in which century?
Question 11 of 20Palaces and castlesHard
Lisbon's Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery are celebrated examples of which ornate architectural style, named after a Portuguese king?
Question 12 of 20Modern architectureMedium
Which architect designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao?
Question 13 of 20MonumentsEasy
Which Paris monument did Napoleon commission in 1806, after his victory at Austerlitz?
Question 14 of 20Churches and cathedralsMedium
St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow was built on the orders of which ruler?
Question 15 of 20Palaces and castlesHard
The palaces of Granada's Alhambra were built mainly by which Muslim dynasty?
Question 16 of 20BridgesMedium
Venice's Rialto Bridge spans which waterway?
Question 17 of 20Ancient sitesEasy
The Parthenon stands on the Acropolis above which city?
Question 18 of 20Palaces and castlesMedium
Fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle was built for which 19th-century king?
Question 19 of 20Ancient sitesHard
About 1,900 years after it was built, the ancient Pantheon still holds which record?
Question 20 of 20BridgesMedium
In which year did London's Tower Bridge open?
Answer all 20 to see your score.
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Show all the answers, with the facts behind them
- The Colosseum, the great amphitheater completed in AD 80, is in which city? RomeBegun under Emperor Vespasian and finished under his son Titus, it is thought to have held about 50,000 spectators for gladiator fights and other spectacles.
- The bronze Little Mermaid statue sits on the waterfront of which city? CopenhagenInspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale, Edvard Eriksen's statue was unveiled in 1913 and is only 1.25 meters tall.
- Prague's Charles Bridge crosses which river? VltavaBegun in 1357 under King Charles IV, it was known simply as the Stone Bridge until 1870 and is lined with 30 statues.
- Istanbul's Hagia Sophia was completed in AD 537 under which Byzantine emperor? Justinian IDesigned by Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, it became a mosque in 1453, a museum in the 1930s and a mosque again in 2020.
- Antoni Gaudí's unfinished basilica, the Sagrada Família, is in which city? BarcelonaBuilding work began in 1882. Gaudí took charge the following year, devoted the rest of his life to the project and is buried in its crypt.
- Brussels' Atomium was built as the centerpiece of which event? The 1958 World's FairIts nine steel spheres represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times, and the whole structure stands 102 meters tall.
- Which French king transformed his father's hunting lodge at Versailles into a vast royal palace? Louis XIVThe king, his court and the royal government moved to Versailles permanently in May 1682.
- The Millau Viaduct, a soaring cable-stayed bridge in southern France, spans the valley of which river? TarnDesigned by engineer Michel Virlogeux with architect Norman Foster, it opened in December 2004. Its tallest pylon reaches 343 meters above the ground.
- The Brandenburg Gate, topped by a chariot sculpture known as the Quadriga, is in which city? BerlinBuilt in 1788–91 to designs by Carl Gotthard Langhans. Napoleon carried the Quadriga off to Paris in 1806, and it was returned in 1814.
- Construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa began in which century? 12th centuryIt took about 200 years to complete. Engineering work between 1990 and 2001 reduced its tilt by about 45 centimeters.
- Lisbon's Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery are celebrated examples of which ornate architectural style, named after a Portuguese king? ManuelineThe style's carvings feature twisted ropes, anchors and armillary spheres, nautical motifs reflecting Portugal's great voyages of discovery.
- Which architect designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao? Frank GehryOpened in 1997 and clad in titanium plates, it revived the city so dramatically that planners now speak of the 'Bilbao effect'.
- Which Paris monument did Napoleon commission in 1806, after his victory at Austerlitz? Arc de TriompheFrance's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War lies beneath it, and a memorial flame is rekindled there every evening.
- St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow was built on the orders of which ruler? Ivan the TerribleBuilt between 1555 and 1561, its colorful onion domes commemorate the capture of the khanates of Kazan and Astrakhan.
- The palaces of Granada's Alhambra were built mainly by which Muslim dynasty? NasridsIts name comes from the Arabic for 'the red one', after the reddish color of its rammed-earth walls.
- Venice's Rialto Bridge spans which waterway? Grand CanalDesigned by Antonio da Ponte and completed in 1591, the stone single-span bridge is the oldest of the four bridges across this waterway.
- The Parthenon stands on the Acropolis above which city? AthensDedicated to the goddess Athena, it was badly damaged in 1687 when a Venetian shell ignited Ottoman gunpowder stored inside.
- Fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle was built for which 19th-century king? Ludwig II of BavariaWork began in 1869, but the king died in 1886 with it far from finished. It opened to paying visitors within weeks of his death.
- About 1,900 years after it was built, the ancient Pantheon still holds which record? World's largest unreinforced concrete domeThe dome is 43.3 meters across, exactly matching the height to its open oculus. The building has been a church since AD 609.
- In which year did London's Tower Bridge open? 1894Its bascules were originally raised by pressurized water pumped by steam engines. The system was converted to electro-hydraulic power in 1974.
