Dropping Anchor in Europe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lumparland

Whilst sounding like it is straight from part of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, Lumparland most definitely isn't! The municipality is located on the edge of a water-filled impact crater, which is estimated to be a billion years old. Lumparland is also known as Lumparlanti.

Helsinki and Oulu are both port cities in Finland, Oulu is on the west coast and Helsinki on the southeast. Lumparland is within the group of islands to the southwest of the country. Oslo is in Norway.

Answer: Larnaca

Larnaca is located in the southern part of Cyprus and is the third largest city in the country following Nicosia and Limassol. It is home to the country's busiest airport. In ancient Greece, a larnax was a small type of coffin containing human remains. The plural form, larnakes, has given the city its name due to the large number of sarcophagi found there.

The Kition kingdom was founded in the 13th century BC in the southern part of present day Cyprus.

Answer: Athens

The development of the port at Piraeus gained momentum in the 5th century BC when Themistocles began fortifying the harbour. The creation of this port also contributed to the rise of Athens as an important city-state. Lying along the Saronic Gulf, the port of Piraeus is the largest passenger port in Europe.

Answer: Zeebrugge

I won't need my brogues very often in Bruges as it is a canal-based city, and is often referred to as 'The Venice of the North'. Bruges has been used for centuries as a trading port, keeping people in and around the city employed, and constantly bringing exotic trade items to the area.

Whilst the incorrect answer options are all cities in Belgium, Liege and Bastogne are located in the southeast of the country, and Brussels is towards the centre.

Answer: Malta

Valletta is located in the central-eastern part of Malta and has two naturally formed harbours - Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour, with the latter being the most important port in the country. Malta's strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea has ensured it favour with various European powers starting from the Phoenicians right up to the British.

While the origins of the name Malta are not clearly known, it may have been derived from the Greek name for the island, Melite (meaning 'honey-sweet') based on the honey produced on the island due to an endemic species of bees living there.

Answer: Supertubos

In addition to being the headquarters of surfing schools and the host city to the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour, Peniche is also the administrative center for a series of protected islands off the coast of Portugal, the Berlengas. The Berlengas is a nature reserve accessible only in the summer months by ferry.

Answer: Yalta

Yalta is located in present day Ukraine on the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its warm, subtropical climate has given the impetus for vineyards to flourish and also helped it find favour with Russian aristocracy in the 19th century. Well known authors like Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekov have also lived in the region for a while.

The Livadia Palace built by Tsar Nicholas II was the site of the Yalta Conference in 1945.

Answer: Ebeltoft

Though it is small, Ebeltoft is very cosmopolitan and is the summer home to people from all over Europe. Located only 50 km from Arhus (the second largest city in Denmark and another nearby port), Ebeltoft is also the home of a famous film school. Copenhagen is not on the Jutland peninsula and is the capital and largest city in Denmark. Hirtshalls' claim to fame is its aquarium and lighthouse.

Answer: Poland

Police is a small town and the capital of Police County in Poland. It is quite close to the German border. Police has a long history, becoming a bombing target in World War II due to the synthetic fuel plant in the area providing fuel to Nazi Germany.

Answer: The Bosphorus

The name Bosphorus is Greek and means "passing a river, ford, ferry". Interestingly enough, the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara flow into each other via the Bosphorus forming an rapid underwater channel across the floor of the Bosphorus. This means that if the Bosphorus were on land instead of underwater, it would be the sixth largest river on Earth!