My Travels In Portugal Online Quiz | Europe

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. My hometown has many attractions. I visited the cathedral, the university, a Roman temple and a chapel with walls made of human bones. So where am I from?

Answer: Evora

Evora, called "The Museum City" because of the remarkable preservation of many monuments from many ages (and not because of the local museums, though they are quite interesting) is indeed famous for its history, which goes back to early celtiberian settlers from 4000 years ago, which left cromelechs, menhirs and dolmens.

The romans came next and stayed until ousted by the Visigoths, then the Arabs. The cathedral is in late Romanesque-early Gothic style. The University was founded in 1559, closed in 1759 and reinstated in 1973.

The Chapel of Bones is inside the Manueline-style Church of St. Francis. The Roman temple is popularly called "of Diana" but was actually built for the cult to the emperor in the first century AD.

2. This city on a river estuary is one of the country's main ports and was once famous for its fishing fleet. Nowadays it produces paper-pulp and vehicles. It's in the Lisbon Metro Area and is famous for the dolphins still living on the river thanks to massive preservation efforts in the last decades. Which city is it?

Answer: Setubal

Setubal's development started in the early 20th century, when the first industries began. The city was elevated to district capital in the 1920s and after WWII its population grew from 15,000 to around 120,000 (without the suburbs). Across the estuary of the Sado river is the Troia peninsula, an important tourist resort.

3. I am a city on a bay. And on the hills. Back in the 16th century my bishop was also bishop of all of Brazil and Africa. I am on the main island of the country's most visited archipelago. Royal exiles have been staying here since the 19th century. The last emperor of Austria-Hungary died here. And I grow my own bananas...

Answer: Funchal

Funchal, on Madeira Island. Sprawling from sea level (the warm Atlantic) to 3000 ft high. Half the population of the islands lives here. The emperor in question was Carl I (who ascended the throne in 1916 but would see the Empire collapse in the aftermath of World War I). My climate is subtropical - hence the bananas and a huge variety of endemic flowers - but never too hot.

4. Since Portugal has been an independent country Lisbon has been the only capital.

Answer: False

Guimaraes and Coimbra were capitals before Lisbon. Since Lisbon became the capital in 1290 there was a brief period during the Napoleonic wars in which the capital of Portugal (of he whole Portuguese Empire, in fact) was Rio de Janeiro in Brazil - but many historians don't usually include Rio on the roll of Portuguese capitals.

5. We're on another archipelago. Out in Mid-Atlantic, battered by storms, shaken by earthquakes, and amazingly beautiful. It is now an autonomous region of Portugal with its own government and parliament. The capital is Ponta Delgada, but where is the Regional Assembly located?

Answer: Horta

Horta is in Faial island, one of the most seismically active. The Capelinhos volcano erupted as recently as 1957 and severe earthquakes struck on 1980 and 1997. Horta used to be of strategic preeminence. Any person or thing that linked Europe
to North America found it useful. Ships and airplanes, of course. But also at one time five out of seven submarine cables. Today it is famous for its colourful marina and very popular with sailors, though these days they usually come in high-tech yachts.

6. This is one of the oldest cities in Portugal. Famously religious - known as "The City of Archbishops".

Answer: Braga

Braga today is an industrial city with over 150,000 people living in its metro area. The archbishops (one at a time) are still there, as they have been since at least 303 AD.

7. To many foreigners my International Airport is their gateway to the country, but though they love the region of which I am the capital, I am not one of their favourite resorts. Which is the region, by the way?

Answer: Algarve

The Algarve receives an astounding 10 million tourists each year, over half of them foreign. It is famous for its beaches (sandy and rocky), its year-round mild climate and, increasingly, its dozens of top quality golf courses. Faro is the capital city and home to the second busiest airport in the country.

8. Lisbon, the capital, is on the estuary of the Tagus (Tejo) River. But do you know how many bridges link it to its southern suburbs?

Answer: Two

They are the 25 de Abril Bridge (built in 1966) and the Vasco da Gama Bridge (built in 1998). A third one is planned for rail traffic only to be used by the High Speed Trains. But as of 2006 the most reliable estimates say it won't be ready before 2020...

9. In the Greater Lisbon area I visited this village (it refuses to be "promoted" to town). It was a summer favourite of the Royal Family. Also of Lord Byron. It has a palace by the same architect that built one of King Ludwig of Bavaria's most fantastic creations. It is located on a "serra" (mountain chain) but its proximity to the Ocean make its climate mild - if somewhat misty.

Answer: Sintra

Sintra is now a World Heritage Site, as designated by UNESCO. The Palace in question is Palacio da Pena and was built by Queen Maria II's consort, King Fernando of Saxe-Coburg. It uncannily resembles Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, and is a riot of styles: Moor, Neo-Gothic, Rococo, Manueline and others - all super-imposed upon a modest medieval convent.

After decades of relative neglect it has been thoroughly and carefully restored, which included painting the outer walls in its original colours: salmon, bright yellow, luscious pink and aquamarine.

Some find the effect jarring, I happen to love it!

10. Time to climb the highest mountain in Portugal. 2351 m high. Where is it exactly?

Answer: Pico Alto volcano, Pico Island

Pico is a dormant volcano which last erupted in the XVIII century. Despite spending most of the year snow-capped it still grumbles every now and them. On the mainland Torre is the highest peak at 1991 m. Unlike the Azores, the Serra da Estrela area where Torre is located is a busy snow resort - the only one in Portugal, in fact.

Source: Author NunoSeno

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

My Travels In Portugal Trivia Quiz

I have recently completed a tour of the country, visiting many obvious tourist spots and other more obscure yet fascinating locations. Would you like to see if you can guess where I have been?

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