Come Sail With Me - But Not By Sea Multiple Choice Quiz | World

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Our journey begins with an overnight flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. In the morning we arrive in northern Europe. Before embarking on our river ship we are treated to a barge ride along the city's canals, with stops at the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum. Where have we landed?

Answer: Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a modern capital that preserves its "Old World" charm. Narrow Dutch houses with their tidy window boxes filled with tulips, hand-scrubbed stoops and sidewalks and locals getting around town on bicycles will charm you. The heart of the city is Dam Square, a spot where the Amstel River once flowed. Due to ongoing and severe flooding a dam was built - hence the square's name.

2. Our first port of call on the Rhine River is a city that began as a Roman settlement called Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. We visit a museum of antiquities and one of Germany's most famous cathedrals - the Dom. In which river-side German city have we docked?

Answer: Cologne

Cologne's Dom Cathedral largely escaped the World War II damage that ravaged the city and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest cathedral in northern Europe, the Dom features beautiful stained-glass windows and intricate details common to 14th-century Gothic churches. This Roman Catholic cathedral is one of the most visited tourist attraction in Germany.

3. Cruising southward, we arrive at a city at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. A former Roman outpost, then a town, it became a city in the 13th century. It served as a haven for refugees during the French Revolution because of its proximity to France. The first thing we see as we dock is a large equestrian statue. Where are we?

Answer: Koblenz

The Romans established a fort in what is now Koblenz in 8 BC. If you only have a short time to visit, as we do, head to Deutsches Eck, where the Mosel flows into the Rhine. The equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I that dominates the site is a 1993 replica of the original 1897 monument, which had been destroyed during World War II. Koblenz is a principal seat of the Mosel and Rhenish wine trade and a good place to enjoy a glass of German Riesling.

4. Today we arrive at a city that is home to German's foremost university and the setting for the opera "The Student Prince". From the town's famous Schloss, high above town, the views of the surrounding area is spectacular. Where has our ship docked?

Answer: Heidelberg

The Altstadt, the historic center of Heidelberg, is largely a pedestrian area with an unusually long main street with attractive shops for locals and tourists. Much of the Altstadt is occupied by the University of Heidelberg, founded in 1386, and still among the best universities in Europe. We enjoy lunch at a traditional Gasthaus that has been part of Heidelberg's Old Town for centuries before returning to our ship.

5. Our next port of call was once the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire because the Imperial Diet (Reichstag) and courts met at the town castle. It is better known however as the site of the World War II war crimes trials. What German city are we visiting today?

Answer: Nuremberg

Nuremberg was chosen as the site of the war crimes trials for symbolic reasons. It had been the location of the Nazi Party's Nuremberg rallies and the laws stripping Jews of their citizenship were passed here. We visit the Nuremberg Documentation Centre which contextualizes the political, economic and cultural aspects of the Nazi regime. Ninety percent of the city was destroyed in a bombing rain on January 2, 1945.

Much of Nuremberg has been lovingly restored however the largest portion of the once imperial city has been lost forever. To lift our spirits we visit the 1420 Albrecht-Durer-Haus, a museum dedicated to the painter/printmaker's life and work.

The house was significantly damaged by Allied bombing, rebuilt by 1949, but did not reopen to the public until 1971 to commemorate the artist's 500th birthday. Durer is generally considered to be the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance. We return to the ship having seen up close a juxtaposition of the best and the worst of human pursuits.

6. Today we dock in a city in Austria where we are awed by a famous Baroque abbey commanding a rocky outcropping overlooking the Danube. Where are we?

Answer: Melk

The recently renovated Melk Abbey is a 1,000-year-old Benedictine monastery filled with manuscripts, precious works of art and the famous Melk crucifix. The abbey is known for the splendor of its library which is breathtaking in design and content. The abbey features 365 windows, one for each day of the year.

The church interior is stunning - a Baroque kaleidoscope of colors - reds, oranges and of course gold everywhere. The Italian writer, Umberto Eco, based his novel "The Name of the Rose" on Melk Abbey - transplanted in his imagination to 14th century Italy. We could have spent all day here exploring, however too soon it is time to return to our ship for a cruise through Austria's beautiful Wachau valley.

7. This morning we arrive at an old-world city which began as the Roman town of Vindobona in 8 AD. It went on to become the most sparkling gem in the crown of the Habsburg monarchy. We will visit the Hofburg Palace and The Spanish Riding School. In what European capital have we arrived?

Answer: Vienna

Vienna is a timeless destination for art, music and culture, famed for its friendly citizens, trams, cafes and pastry shops, to say nothing of its renowned music scene and famous Vienna Boys' Choir. We overnight in Vienna to be able to visit our choice of the city's many museums.

The world renowned Kunsthistorisches Museum is conveniently located on Vienna's Ringstrasse. If you prefer to bypass museums, visitors to the city often enjoy taking a ride on the famed Riesenrad, a Ferris wheel in Prater amusement park, which was featured in the 1949 film classic The Third Man.

8. Today we dock in a glorious setting - a city located on both sides of the Danube River. Once nicknamed the "Paris of Eastern Europe," the city suffered horribly during World War II and its aftermath, when it found itself behind the Iron Curtain. Where are we?

Answer: Budapest

Buda, Obuda and Pest combined in 1873 to form the modern city of Budapest. Buda, on the left bank of the Danube River, is the hilly, older part of Budapest. Destroyed during the war, the area buildings, including Buda Castle and the seven-gabled Fisherman's Bastion, have been lovingly restored.

Although the latter has a somewhat Disneyland feel to it, the views from here across the Danube to the Parliament buildings are splendid. We walk across the famed Chain Bridge to the Pest side of the river, stopping at a multi-storied Les Halles-style market near the end of the bridge. Tonight we dine at Gundel, Budapest's most famous restaurant, reopened to much fanfare in 1992 by Hungarian-born American restaurateur George Lang. We overnight in the city to enable us to enjoy another traditional Hungarian treat - "taking the restorative thermal waters" at Hotel Gellert and enjoying a massage afterward.

The city boasts more than 30 thermal spring spas, but the Gellert has been described as "the Taj Mahal of baths" - the most colorful and fascinating way to soak up (literally) the local Eastern European culture.

9. This morning we arrive at a gracious old city built centuries ago along important east-west trade routes to Western Europe from the Balkan Peninsula. On our itinerary are visits to St. Sava Orthodox Cathedral - the largest Orthodox Cathedral in the world - and Kalemegdan Castle. Where are we now?

Answer: Belgrade

Founded 2,300 years ago, Belgrade is situated at the junction of the Danube and Sava Rivers. We tour the old town, Stari Grad, and visit the Josip Broz Tito Memorial. It was erected to honor Tito, who held Yugoslavia together in the post-World War II era, until his death in 1980.

After the disastrous Balkan War, Belgrade is reinventing itself and tourists have begun returning. The city has a vibrant music scene and young Belgradians are happy to dance all night and go directly to work in the morning.

10. Our final river port is Constanta, a city on the Black Sea dating back to about 600 BC. We are able to enjoy a dip in the sea and lunch overlooking it before boarding a motor coach for our final destination - an old city that has served as the capital of Wallachia and later Romania since 1659. What city is the final destination of our trip?

Answer: Bucharest

It's Bucharest! On arrival we enjoy a tour of the old city. Once known as the "Pearl of the Balkans", Bucharest still bears the scars of Romania's political struggles. The government of the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu demolished many historic neighborhoods, replacing them with concrete block housing.

The city is emerging from its tragic losses and blossoming into one of Eastern Europe's most cosmopolitan cities - with the exception of its electrical wiring which is like a spidery canopy over many city streets. We overnight at the delightful 5-star Athenee Palace hotel, built in the city center in 1914. Early the following morning we partake in two unique experiences...breathing in the fresh morning air atop the city's Triumphal Arch, then catching a train to the monastery by Snagov Lake to see the supposed tomb of Dracula. We then head back to town to dine on the terrace of our hotel before packing up for our return flight home.

Source: Author Whitney37

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Come Sail With Me - But Not By Sea Quiz

We will sail along three of Europe's major rivers - the Rhine, the Main and the Danube - enjoying the intimacy of a small river ship. Along the way we will see medieval villages, half-timbered towns, and bustling cities.

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