Hank’s European Geography Quiz
By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Here is a little fun for you (I think we could all use a little fun right now)—25 Quiz Questions to challenge your knowledge about European Geography.
I am a former high school World Geography and AP Human Geography teacher and coupled with our travel experiences, we have learned a lot about Europe and want to share our knowledge with you--hopefully you will enjoy this quiz!
I will first ask the question—there may even be a hint to help you, then a picture related to the question, and finally the answer.
It should be fun! OK, class is in session—Good Luck!
The Quiz
1) Q. Most of us remember the oldie song “Ferry Cross the Mersey”. It was by Gerry and the Pacemakers. So if you rode this ferry, what city would you be in?
We visited this city in 2017 on our Azamara British Isle’s cruise
This is a picture inside an actual ferry across the Mersey—the Zeebrugge!
A. Liverpool, England. Gerry and the Pacemakers were part of the “Mersey beat” scene. The song refers to the River Mersey which flows past Liverpool, England.
2) Q. The Danube River starts in Germany and flows to the Black Sea. It also flows through the capitals of four nations—the most of any other river in the world. Name the four capital cities.
You would see this castle/fortress at one of these capital cities.
A. Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungry; Bratislava, Slovakia and Belgrade Serbia
3) Q. There are 2 countries in Europe that are on both the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. They both have large coasts and famous beaches. Can you name them?
This is a port in the Atlantic Ocean for one of these countries
Here is another port in a different country for this quiz.
A. France & Spain
4) Q. Great Britain is comprised of 4 countries—England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Which country does not have its own official flag?
London England Parliament Build with the Union Jack proudly flying above it.
A. . The only official flag of Northern Ireland is the Union Jack. The Ulster Banner was used by the government of Northern Ireland from 1953 to 1973 but it was abolished by an act of parliament in 1973. While not the official flag, some still display it and it is sometimes used in some international sporting competitions.
5) Q. One of my favorite train rides is through the Brenner Pass. Can you name the two countries on either side of the Brenner Pass?
The Alps from the air
A. Austria and Italy. This mountain pass through the Alps is one of the principal passes in the eastern Alpine range since the mountains here are at a lower altitude than many other Alps Mountain Passes. The scenery is great during the train ride and dairy cattle graze in the alpine pastures.
6. What US state is named after a Greek Island? This Greek Island once had one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World at its harbor entrance. (Hint—my classmate from West Point is one of the 2 Senators. It is a very small state.)
Colossus of Rhodes, artist's impression, 1880. Public Domain Wikipedia
A. Rhode Island. Rhodes, Greece is a popular island and tourist destination, especially for its Medieval Old Town. In ancient times, at the entrance of its harbor was the statue of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.
7. Q. London and Paris are both located on rivers. Name the two rivers.
Here is one of the rivers—these love locks no longer exist—the weight keep causing the rails to collaspe!
A. London is on the Thames. Paris is on the Seine.
8. Q. There is one European country located on the Adriatic Sea that has only one island. It is not on the sea, but on a beautiful lake. Part of this beauty is the rugged mountain range near the lake, the Julian Alps. Can you name it?
This is a picture of the island. You can clearly see the steeple of the famous church on this island.
A. Slovakia. The only island is on Lake Bled, and there are no salt water islands. The island’s name is Bled Island. Located on this small island is the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church. The church has a famous tradition—local grooms carry their brides up the 99 steps, while the bride remains silent during the trip—it is said to bring them happiness in the future.
9. Q. Name one of the two cities in France that is known as “the Venice of the North.” They are referred to Venice because of its canals.
This is a picture of one of the canals.
A. Strasbourg or Colmar. The picture is one of the canals in Strasbourg.
10. Q. There are several tiny countries in Europe—I call them Little European Treasures. Name 2 of these countries or city-states that are land locked (no direct access to the sea)
Here is a picture of one of the tiny countries I call Little Treasures
A. In Italy, the Vatican and San Marino. The other 2 countries are Lichtenstein, and Andorra.
11. Q. My father fought in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Most of the key fighting took part in the dense forest of Wallonia in Belgium and in Luxembourg. What is the name of this forest region? (Hint—it is also the US military official name for the battle).
Luxembourg City—it is a short distance to this famous battlefield site.
A. Ardennes. The Ardennes Counteroffensive was the last major German offensive campaign of WW II. The Ardennes is in the Southeastern corner of Belgium and in Luxembourg. We are working on a possible trip to this battlefield and museums in 2022 that we would escort.
12. Q. Sometimes the name of a place can tell you what you might expect to see or do at place. One our favorite German Cities is “Baden Baden”. So what does “Baden” mean? (I’ll accept one of two answers here—and it’s not the famous casino!)
Baden Baden
A. Bath or Spa. Baden in German means “to bathe”. Wikipedia says “Baden Baden” means the town of Baden in the territory of Baden. Bad in German is translated to mean a Spa town.
13. Q. Europe is a continent of peninsulas (a peninsula has water on 3 sides)—it has 5 peninsulas. The Jutland Peninsula is the smallest. Can you name the country that occupies most of this peninsula? (Hint—a lot of Vikings came from this country).
This is the very end of a portion of this peninsula. This is Kronborg Castle.
A. Denmark occupies most of the Jutland Peninsula. A very small portion of the peninsula is part of Germany
14. Q, Another peninsula question—remember Europe has 5 major peninsulas. Only one of these 5 is occupied by one country and two enclaves (an enclave is a country inside another country). Can you name the country that occupies this peninsula? (Hint—the name of the country is also the name of the peninsula. I call these 2 small countries Little Treasures and one of these is the smallest country in Europe).
This is the colorful town of Portofino
A. Italy occupies all the land mass of the Italian Peninsula. The enclaves are San Marino and the Vatican (the smallest country in Europe).
15. Q. What mountain range separates France from the Iberian Peninsula? (Hint—the tiny country of Andorra is in this mountain range—one of what I call the Little European Treasures).
The foothills of this mountain range
A. The Pyrenees Mountains separate France from Spain. The mountain range is about 305 miles long and its tallest peak, Mt. Anelo, is 11,168 feet tall.
16. One of the islands of Scotland is famous for a small breed of horses—they are often called ponies. It is also known for a special breed of herding dogs—the slang name for these dogs is also a great hint to the name of this island. Can you name this northern most island of Scotland?
A Scottish Island but it is not the island that is the answer.
A. The Shetland Islands—home of the Shetland ponies and “shelties” or Shetland Sheepdogs. It is a popular stop for cruise ships, as many tourists like this unspoiled destination.
17. One famous square in London commemorates a famous naval battle in which the English defeated the combined French & Spanish Fleets in 1805 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. The hero of that battle was an admiral named Lord Horatio Nelson and he stands tall above the square on a column. What is the name of the square (it is also the name of the cape in southwest Spain where the naval battle took place)?
Lord Nelson on this famous square
A. Trafalgar Square.
18. Q. Two European Countries claim to be the originator of French Fries (Pomme Frites)? Can you name them? What are French Fries known as in the United Kingdom and Ireland?
A. Belgium and France both claim to be the originator of French Fries. Both have reasonable claims and I don’t favor one over the other. French fries are called chips in the British Isles. They are “chips” of the whole potato—hence you might have heard of Fish and Chips, the popular pub dish in the British Ilse’s. What we call potato chips in the US are known as crisps since they are crispy!
19. Q. One of the most renowned train rides of the world starts in Paris and ends in Istanbul. What is this train rides most commonly known as? (Hint—Agatha Christie wrote a famous story about this train ride for her Belgium detective, Herucle Poirot and it has been made into several movies.)
You might see this famous landmark in Istanbul
A. The Orient Express. The official name of this luxury train ride is the Venice-Simplon—Orient Express. If you want to go bring your tux and formal wear and a lot of cash—it costs $19,900 or more for a suite cabin shared by two!
20. Q. One famous English King, Henry VIII, did not live in London after 1529. What is the name of the palace that Henry VIII lived in after 1529 (by the way, it’s a great day trip from London)?
Henry VIII re-enactor at this famous residence
A. Hampton Court Palace. The Palace was Henry VIII’s favorite royal residence. Among the highlights of the palace are Henry’s State Rooms, the vast Tudor kitchens and over 60 acres of enchanting gardens.
21. Q. One of the themes of Geography is called human-environment interaction—it focuses on how humans adapt to and modify the environment in which they live. What man-made feature (canal) allows travelers to cruise on both the Rhine and Danube Rivers without ever having to leave water? Completion of this canal was one of the reasons why so many modern luxury riverships cruise in Europe, as completion of this canal allowed for a 14 day cruise on the two rivers of the Rhine and the Danube. Did both Charlemagne and Ludwig I of Bavaria both try to build the canal prior to its completion in 1992 (True or False).
This town on the Danube is the starting point of this canal
A. The Main-Danube Canal connects the Rhine River to the Danube River, using the Main tributary. It is 106 miles long, has 16 locks and was completed in 1992. True, both Charlemagne and Ludwig I dreamed of linking these two rivers.
22. This city used to be called Byzantium and later Constantinople. This is where Europe meets Asia, separated by the Bosporus Strait. What is a strait? What is the name of this city today?
A. A strait is a narrow passage of water connecting two seas or two larger bodies of water. The Bosporus Strait connects the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The current name of this key city is Istanbul but some countries like Greece still call Istanbul by its older name Constantinople.
23. Q. This city has been called Europe’s ultimate walled fortress city. It is located in the southeast of France. What is its name?
A. Carcassonne, France. Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. In its present form, it is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defensive walls encircling the castle and surrounding buildings, its streets and its fine Gothic cathedral. It is the largest walled city in Europe.
24. We have all heard of the pied piper of Hamelin, a fairy tale written by the Grimm Brothers and others. In what European country is Hamelin located?
The Pied Piper leads the children out of Hamelin. Illustration by Kate Greenway. Public Domain Wikipedia
A. It is located in Lower Saxony, Germany (northwestern Germany). The town of Hamelin has a fine old town area and on Sundays during the summer months actors recreate the Grimm Fairy tale of the pied piper of Hamelin. According to this fairy tale, the pied (pied means dressed in multicolored clothing) piper is hired to lure a rat infestation away from Hamelin. Using his magic pipe, the music puts a spell on the rats and the rats follow him to the Weser River, where they all drown. When the town refused to pay him the agreed upon sum, he later uses his pipe to lead the children of the town away in revenge to a cave where they were never seen again. On the main street of Hamelin, it is illegal today to play music in public except during these recreations!
25. Q. What two European Cities, located on the Danube River, where united and became the capital of Hungary? What is the name of the bridge that united these two cities (the English nickname is okay)?
A picture of the famous bridge that unites these 2 cities
A. Buda and Pest united to become Budapest. They are united by the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. It is more commonly known as the Chain Bridge. This was the first permanent bridge built across the Danube in Budapest. It was built from 1840 to 1849. It is 375 meters long and 16 meters wide. This bridge connected the towns of Buda and Pest and was the major reason these two towns became Budapest. In 1989, it was the site of a protest for freedom and independence from communist rule. Today, the bridge is a symbol of Hungarian liberty.
Bonus Question
26. What is Anne’s favorite Europe City (hint—it is in Belgium, begins with the letter B, has canals and can be spelled two different ways)
A. Brugge, Belgium! The alternate spelling is Bruges.
My Final Thoughts
So, how did you do? Do you deserve an A on this quiz? The good news is it is not graded—it is for fun! I hope you learned something new about our favorite travel destination--we sure miss traveling to Europe!
We hope this inspires you to dream about European travel—and then take action when travel restrictions are lifted! We will be ready to help!
When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.
Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent
