The Hidden Capitals of Europe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Zagreb

Disliking pizZA, GREBes do enjoy a hearty dinner of butternut soup.

Zagreb is the capital of the Republic of Croatia. The city lies along the Sava River, in the northern portion of the country, very close to the border with Slovenia. A Roman settlement, Andautonia, stood in the site; the name Zagreb was first applied to the city in the 12th century. The city has become a popular tourist destination, with many museums and sports activities and one of the most highly rated Christmas markets in Europe. The city houses Croatia's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, the University of Zagreb, which was founded in 1669.

Zagreb is the headquarters of most Croatian businesses, with a focus on the tech sector. The city lies at the intersection of Mediterranean, Central European and Southeastern Europe so it serves as an international trade center. The climate is tempered by the country's Mediterranean location; the summers can be hot, and it does snow in the winter.

Player pusdoc of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew might brave the snow to visit Zagreb's Christmas market.

Answer: Helsinki

Ronald shouted "EtHEL, SINK It inside the larger pot", as she struggled to plant her begonia.

Finland does not have the rich protracted history of its neighbours, Sweden and Russia, because for most of its past, it was dominated by one or the other. Helsinki was established as a trading centre by King Gustav I of Sweden in 1550. It was meant to be a rival to the Hanseatic city of Reval (now Tallinn) on the southern shores of the Gulf of Finland but the town remained small. It was not until Emperor Alexander I of Russia moved the Finnish capital to Helsinki in 1812 and after the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, and the relocation of the Royal Academy of Turku, (now University of Helsinki) that the city became the country's most important city.

Question written by Phoenix Rising's 1nn1.

Answer: Paris

The engineer confirmed that a sPAR ISn't used to support this city's famous tower.

Situated in the Ile-de-France region, Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, and has been since the end of the 12th century. Paris is a major International transport hub, with two international airports (Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly) and the Gare du Nord railway terminus, which is the busiest outside Japan. Paris was one of the first cities to install street lighting, earning it the nickname of "City of Light".

The French Revolution (1789-1799) saw the end of the French Monarchy and the beginning of the French Republic with Napoleon Bonaparte as its de facto leader and later, Emperor.

The Eiffel Tower was designed and built by Gustave Eiffel's company for the 1889 Universal Exposition (World's Fair) held in Paris. The "Iron Lady" was initially criticised and was only meant to be a temporary structure, and is now one of the most iconic sites in the world.

Phoenix Rising's leith90, who got vertigo at the top of the tower and who once managed to get lost in the Gare du Nord, found her way around this question.

Answer: Budapest

Peter saw a roseBUD, A PESTtilent caterpillar sat atop, preparing to feast.

Poetically referred to as the "Queen of the Danube", Budapest, Hungary's capital, sits astride the Danube River. Originally three towns; Pest, Obuda and Buda, 1873 saw them become unified into Budapest. It is both a city and a county. There has been a settlement in the area dating back to pre-Roman times.

The central area of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has many interesting sites and monuments to see such as the Hungarian Parliament and Buda Castle. It is also home to 80 geothermic springs and has a large thermal water cave system. Tourism is a major source of income, the city attracting approximately 12 million tourists per year.

Landlocked Hungary is situated in Central Europe and is bordered by Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria.

Budapest is another place that Red Crew's smpdit plans on visiting.

Answer: Dublin

Very slowly a HinDU BLINks a message in Morse Code. Dot dot dash.

Dublin can trace its history back to the Gaels around the 7th century. It was invaded by Vikings and Anglo-Normans in the 12th Century. Today it is a thriving city of over a million people and nearly two million in the Greater Dublin area. It sits on the mouth of the River Liffey, bordered on the south by the Wicklow Mountains range. Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State, later named Ireland in 1937.

Question written by Phoenix Rising's 1nn1.

Answer: Berlin

The chain, not the wall, was made from an amBER LINk and a topaz link. It was awfully pretty.

The capital of Germany, Berlin, is the country's largest city, by both area and population. Situated in northeast Germany, on both sides of the Spree River, Berlin is thought to have been founded in the 13th century although excavated remains of an old house have been dated to the 11th century.

Amber is fossilised tree resin which has been used as a gemstone for jewellery and decoration as far back as the time of Nicias (circa) 470-413 BCE. Topaz is a neosilicate mineral which is colourless in its natural state but is coloured by impurities or the effects of heat. The most common colours are brown/yellow and blue.

In 1961 during the Berlin Crisis of the Cold War, a wall was constructed which encircled West Berlin, separating the Eastern Bloc-controlled East Berlin and the Allied-associated West Berlin. In 1989 the East German Government allowed free movement between East and West Germany and demolition of the wall began in 1990.The wall was not constructed of amber and topaz, but concrete topped with guard towers.

Phoenix Rising's leith90 would be very happy with an amber and topaz chain, thank you very much.

Answer: Amsterdam

Turning slowly on its wheel the hAMSTER DAMaged the central sprocket.

Known as the "Venice of the North" due to its extensive canal system, Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. It is situated at the mouth of the Amstel River and the dam on this river is the source of its name. It is the home of the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House, which are major tourist attractions. The city is a well known haven for cyclists as the land is extremely flat; biking lanes and paths are numerous.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is situated in the northwest of Europe and has territories in the Caribbean, it is often erroneously referred to as Holland, which is a province within The Netherlands. Netherlands translates to "lower countries" and much of its land is below sea level.

Red Crew's smpdit would love to visit but cannot ride a bike.

Answer: Lisbon

Sandra mentioned that PauL IS BONny and blithe and good all day, having been born on the Sunday.

Lisbon is Portugal's capital city and its most populous. It is also an ancient city, dating back to the Julius Caesar era when it was called Olissipo. Its proximity to Europe and Africa, and additionally to the Americas, being located on the coast of Portugal on the Atlantic Ocean, gives it a superb strategic location for sea trade routes.

Lisbon is a global city, alpha-level according to the "Globalization and World Cities Research Network." The network ranks cities based on their connections to the world, mainly through economics, but there are other factors involved in rankings.

Phoenix Rising's Red Crew member, jaknginger, added this question to the team quiz.

Answer: Madrid

The tall, slender, noMAD RIDes a cantankerous camel through the desert sands.

Madrid is the capital of Spain. It is Spain's most populated city, second only to Berlin in the European Union. It is an ancient city, having occupants in that area since the Stone Age. The actual urban area was founded by Muslims during the 9th century. There are remnants of the "Muslim Walls of Madrid" dating back to that era.

In 1561, during the reign of Philip I, Madrid became the main economic center of the Spanish Empire. It was not officially declared the capital then, but Philip moved the Catholic Monarchs' court to Madrid, and the city grew. Madrid has seen occupations and/or rules by the Portuguese, French, and English, as well as multiple times of civil war and unrest.

Madrid is a culturally diverse metropolitan city. It is a beautiful city with museums, universities, sports, and entertainment.

Jaknginger of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew added this question.

Answer: Prague

Dinner was a strange assortment of souP, RAGU, Endive and anchovies.

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and was historically the capital of Bohemia. Situated on the Vltava River, the city has many recognizable landmarks, from the medieval Charles Bridge spanning the river, to the Prague Castle looming from a nearby hill, to Wenceslas Square on the other side. The historic center of the city has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name "Prague" comes from the Slavic "práh" which means "ford," referring to the crossing site on the Vltava. The region was inhabited in paleolithic times, but population became more established when the Germanic and Slavic tribes migrated to the site in the 5th century AD.

Construction of the Prague Castle began in the 9th century. St. Vitus Cathedral, part of the castle complex, was started in the 14th century and was finally completed in the 20th century. The Charles Bridge is named for Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia, who ordered its construction along with the Cathedral and the Charles University, which is still Central Europe's oldest university.

The population of Prague reached one million by 1950; coupled with commuting into the city, the population topped 2 million in the 2020s. The city holds many museums and music venues; of note, Mozart's "Don Giovanni" premiered in Prague in 1787. A restaurant in Prague was the first in post-Communist Central Europe to receive a Michelin star; there are now more than two dozen Michelin-ranked restaurants in the city.

Player pusdoc of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew has wanted to visit Prague since she saw "Amadeus," which was filmed there in 1984.