The Cities on Their Banks Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kazan

The Volga rises in the Valdai Hills between Saint Petersburg and Moscow. It flows in a generally southeastern direction for 2,294 miles before emptying into the Caspian Sea.

With a population of 1.14 million (2010 census), Kazan is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Tatarstan and Russia's eighth-largest city. The Kazan Kremlin, which now includes the new Qolşärif Mosque, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Building began on the largest mosque in Europe outside Istanbul in 1996, and was completed in time to celebrate the city's 1,000th anniversary in 2005.

Officially nicknamed "The Third Capital of Russia", Kazan celebrates its "City Day" on August 30.

Answer: Linz, Austria

The Danube rises in the Black Forest of Germany and travels eastwards for 1,777 miles to the Black Sea. On the way, it passes through four national capitals (Vienna, Bratislava, Belgrade and Budapest) as well as numerous state and provincial capitals and significant population centres.

With a population of 193,000 (2014 estimate), Linz is the capital and largest city in the state of Upper Austria, and the third-largest Austrian city. The city,founded as 'Lentia' by the Romans, straddles the Danube. The city's most famous resident was the mathematician and astronomer Jonathan Keppler, and the city's main university is named in his honour.

With a recipe dating back to 1653, the 'Linzer torte' claims the title of the world's oldest cake.

Answer: Utrecht, Netherlands

The primary source of the River Rhine is Tomasee, a lake in the Graubünden canton of eastern Switzerland. From there, it flows primarily northwards for 764 miles to the North Sea.

Founded by the Romans around 50 A.D. and now home to some 330,000 (2014 estimate), Utrecht is the capital of the province of the same name and the fourth-largest city in The Netherlands.

Standing 368 feet tall, Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands. All that remains of the Cathedral of Saint Martin, the tower was built between 1331 and 1382 but the cathedral itself was still uncompleted when it collapsed in 1674. If you are feeling energetic, you can climb the 465 steps to the top of the tower for a spectacular panoramic view of the city and surrounding area.

Answer: Opera/Ballet house

The Elbe rises some 4,500 feet above sea level in the 'Krkonose' (aka "The Giant Mountains") in northern Czech Republic. After crossing first Bohemia and then Germany, the river empties into the North Sea some 70 miles north of Hamburg.

The city of Dresden is now the capital of the Free State of Saxony and was previously the historic seat of the Electors of Saxony. There is evidence of human habitation in the region for more than 9,000 years, but the current settlement dates back to the arrival of Slavic people in the 12th century.

The pictured 'Dresden Semperoper' was built in 1841 but a fire in 1869 virtually destroyed it. The magnificent opera and ballet house that can be seen today dates back to 1878. Composers whose works premiered here include Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.

Answer: Gdansk

The Vistula, Poland's longest river, rises on the western slopes of Barania Góra, a 4,000-foot high mountain in the Silesian Beskids in the extreme south of the country. It flows northwards 650 miles to the Bay of Gdañsk, an inlet of the Baltic Sea.

The seaport of Gdansk (also sometimes called Danzig) is the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Poland's fourth-largest city, it is the largest city in the metropolitan area called Trójmiasto ("Tricity") which also includes the city of Gdynia and the spa town of Sopot.

Długi Targ was established in the 13th century, and many of the city's wealthiest merchants lived here. It was also the site for executions of common criminals, heretics and witches. Artus Court, completed in 1350, is now home to the Gdansk History Museum.

Answer: Toledo

The Tagus begins its 645-mile journey westwards from the Montes Universales in eastern Spain. It crosses central Spain and Portugal before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Lisbon.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, the city of Toledo is the capital of both the Spanish province of the same name and the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Nicknamed "The Imperial City" and "City of the Three Cultures", it is recognized today for its history as a producer of knives, swords and other bladed weapons.

Santa María la Blanca (Saint Mary the White), originally called Ibn Shushan Synagogue, was uniquely designed by Islamic architects for Jewish use under the auspices of the Christian Kingdom of Castile. Built in 1180 and now owned by the Catholic Church, it is arguably the oldest synagogue building still standing in Europe.

Answer: Loire

The Loire Valley is often called "The Garden of France" because of the vast number of vineyards and fruit-producing fields that line its banks. Rising in the mountains of the Massif Central in southern France, the Loire flows 630 miles to the Atlantic Ocean and is the longest river in France.

The city of Nevers, administrative capital of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region, began life in the 1st-century B.C. as the Roman settlement of Noviodunum.

Noted for its wide renaissance façade and the polygon turrets typical of architecture found in the Loire Valley, the Ducal Palace that overlooks the historic old town in the centre of Nevers was the first of its kind.

Answer: Lake Vanern

Formed as an outflow channel from the Baltic Ice Lake at the end of the last Ice Age, the Gota alv ("River of the Geats") flows southwest from Lake Vanern, across southern Sweden, to enter the Kattegat near the country's second-largest city, Gothenburg.

With an area of 2,200 square miles, Lake Vanern is only slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Delaware. The largest lake in the European Union, only two Russian lakes (Ladoga and Onega) are larger and lie entirely within Europe. Located in southern Sweden, it covers parts of three provinces, Vastergotland, Dalsland and Varmland. The lake has an average depth of 89 feet and a maximum depth of 348 feet -- a Viking ship was discovered on the bottom of the lake only in 2009.

Answer: Turin

The River Po rises on the slopes of Monte Viso, the highest mountain in the Cottian Alps just on the Italian side of the border with France. The Po River Valley covers much of northern Italy, the river and its tributaries providing water for more than a third of the country's entire population.

Capital of the Piedmont region, Torino (Turin) has a rich historical and cultural background. Italy's first capital when the country unified in 1861, the city was also home to the House of Savoy, Italy's royal family until 1946. Major tourist attractions include the 17th-century Royal Palace, the 'Shroud of Turin' (housed at the royal chapel at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in the centre of the city), and the 'Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile' ("The National Automobile Museum").

The Porta Palatina (Palatine Gate) once provided access through the city walls of Julia Augusta Taurinorum, the Roman settlement that became the city of Torino. The structure dates back to either the Augustan or the Flavian Age during the 1st-century B.C. Along with an ancient theatre located nearby, the gate forms the "Turin Archaeological Park" which opened in 2006.

Answer: Gloucester

The River Severn rises 2,000-feet up on the slopes of Plynlimon (meaning "five peaks"), the highest point in both the Cambrian Mountains and in mid-Wales. It eventually forms the Severn Estuary, which becomes the Bristol Channel as it flows out into the North Atlantic Ocean.

The city of Gloucester, founded by the Romans under Emperor Nerva, was granted its inaugural city charter by King Henry II in 1155.

The abbey, which once stood on the site now occupied by Gloucester Cathedral, was founded in the 670s and was dissolved by Henry VIII in the early 16th century. Construction of the cathedral itself, built in a combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles, began in 1089 during the reign of King William II. It took more than four centuries to complete -- it was finished in 1499.

The most notable monument here honours King Edward II (reigned 1307-27), who was murdered at the nearby Berkeley Castle and was subsequently buried in Gloucester.