Bonjour Madrid! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Manzanares

The Manzanares River that runs through the Spanish capital of Madrid is actually quite a small river in comparison to most rivers that flow through large cities. It is only 57 miles or 92 kilometers long and empties into the Jarama River. The Manzanares has been dammed in several places and it is not uncommon to see people canoeing in it.

Answer: Fuencarral-El Pardo

Fuencarral-El Pardo, or just El Pardo for short, makes up about a quarter of Madrid's land area. It is a sparsely populated district. El Pardo is known for its royal palace. The area surrounding the palace that once served as a hunting reserve. Today the palace is a protected site and the area surrounding it is preserved to protect wildlife, primarily birds. Soto de Vineuelas (pictured) is one of the forests in El Pardo.

Answer: The Spanish Prime Minister

The Palacio de la Moncloa is the home and workplace of the Spanish Prime Minister and has served as such since 1977. The original building on the site that is now the palace was a large farmhouse built in the 17th century and over the years it exchanged hands many times between royalty and noblemen.

It became the home of the prime minister in 1977 after the death of Francisco Franco when Spain was transitioning to a democracy.

Answer: Public park

Casa de Campo means "country home" in Spanish because the park was once the grounds of an elaborate hunting estate. The park, which is the largest in Madrid, is home to the Madrid Zoo and an amusement park. The park is popular with families but it also has a reputation for being ridden with drugs, violence and other illicit activities. Pictured is a historical representation of how the garden area of Casa de Campo looked in the 17th century.

Answer: Prado

The Museo del Prado is located in central Madrid and is home to many works of art primarily by Spanish artists but it also contains art from painters and sculptors from around the world. The most famous painting in the Prado is "Las Meninas" by Diego Velazquez. "Las Meninas" was completed in 1656 and depicts several members of the Spanish Royal Family and its court.

The Prado is also home to "La Maja Vestida" and its partner "La Maja Desnuda". These paintings depict the same woman lying on a bed fully clothed (in "La Maja Vestida") and nude (in "La Maja Desnuda").

The Prado is one of the most visited museums on Earth and is home to one of the largest collections of art on the planet as well.

Answer: Strawberry

The "Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree" is a bronze statue depicting the Coat of Arms of Madrid which similarly features a bear reaching for strawberries high up in a tree. Bears and strawberry trees are of major significance to the city. Legend has it Madrid was once called Ursaria, meaning "land of the bears" because bears were so common in the area before it was urbanized. Strawberry trees were also once very common in the city.

Answer: They are slanted.

The Puerta de Europa buildings are twin skyscrapers inclined at 15 degrees. Each tower is home to various companies and contain many offices. The roof of each tower also serves as a helipad. They stand at 114 meters or 374 feet tall and each tower has twenty-six floors.

They are sometimes referred to as skyscrapers but they are not tall enough or have enough floors to qualify as skyscrapers. Skyscrapers must be at least 150 meters tall and have 40 or more floors.

Answer: Royal Palace

Parque del Buen Retiro is a famous park in Madrid. Its most famous feature is the large monument to Alfonso XII, which is a large colonnade accompanied by a statue of Alfonso XII riding a horse overlooking a pond. Nearby is the Fountain of the Fallen Angel which depicts Satan's fall from heaven. The fountain is commonly said to be the only monument on Earth dedicated to Satan but this is false as there many Satan monuments in cities around the world. Another famous feature of the park is the Statue Walk, a long avenue littered with marble statues of various Spanish kings.

The Royal Palace, home to the Spanish Royal Family, is not located in the Parque del Buen Retiro. The Sabatini Gardens (pictured) is a park located on the grounds of the Royal Palace and is famous for its fountains and hedges.

Answer: Gran Via

Gran Via is called the Spanish Broadway because it is home to a number of theaters and shopping centers just like Broadway in New York City. Gran Via begins at the Metropolis Building where the Gran Via meets Calle de Alcala and ends at the Plaza de Espana (pictured is the plaza's fountain). The Royal Palace is located nearby the Plaza de Espana.

Answer: It varies from place to place.

Madrid is located near the Guadarrama Mountains which makes it one of the highest cities in Europe but not the highest. The northern area of Madrid is at a considerably higher altitude than the southern portion. The highest peak in Madrid is 846 meters or 2,776 feet high while the lowest place is over 300 meters or 1,000 feet lower. Pictured is a painting by artist unknown of a royal palace with some of Madrid's rolling hills in the background.