Trivially European Trivia Quiz

Answer: Germany

The highest peak in the Wetterstein Mountains in the Eastern Alps, Zugspitze is also Germany's high point. It is located in the extreme south of the country and the border between Germany and Austria crosses the mountain's western summit. On the flanks of Zugspitze, you will also find Germany's two largest glaciers: Northern Schneeferner, with an area of 77 acres and an average thickness of 56 feet, (both the largest and the highest, at 8,660 feet, glacier in Germany); and the 61-acre Höllentalferner Glacier.

Zugspitze was first climbed officially in 1820 although there are claims that locals conquered the peak more than 50 years earlier. Thirty-one years after that, in August 1851, an expedition of 28 climbers scaled the mountain, each of them carrying one of the pieces that make up the 14-foot tall Zugspitze Summit Cross.

Answer: Netherlands

A treaty signed at the 1899 Hague Peace Conference created the Permanent Court of Arbitration with the worthy objective of ending war. Funded by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Neo-Renaissance Peace Palace was officially opened in The Hague, Netherlands, on August 28, 1913. So much for that great idea -- exactly eleven months later, the "War to End All Wars" began.

Since 1946, the building has housed the United Nations' primary judicial body, the International Court of Justice -- this should not be confused with the high-profile International Criminal Court where individuals are prosecuted for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, which is located elsewhere in The Hague. Also located in the Peace Palace are the Peace Palace Library of International Law (since 1913) and the Hague Academy of International Law, founded in 1923.

Answer: Helsinki

Russian expansionism prompted the Swedish crown, which then controlled what is now Finland, to begin building this sea fortress in Helsinki Harbor in 1748. It was based on the concept of the 'star fort' style of fortification, adapted for the particular problems of building on a group of rocky islands.

Named Viapori by the Finns and called Sveaborg by the Swedes, construction was finally completed in the 1760s, officer training began there in 1770 and the naval military school officially opened in 1779. Alas, just 60 years after the major project began, in 1808 during the Finnish War, the fortress surrendered to Russia. The occupation of Finland by Russian troops began the following year.

In 1918, encouraged by patriotism and nationalistic feeling at the end of World War I, the Finns renamed the island fortress 'Suomenlinna' (meaning "Castle of Finland"), although it is still known by some today as Viapori. The site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site in 1991.

Answer: Serbia

The ten-acre complex located at the spa resort of Gamzigrad in eastern Serbia contains some of the world's most important ancient Roman ruins. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site in 2007, Galerius ordered construction of what is believed to be an Imperial Palace here to mark the site of his birth and named it in honour of his mother, Romula. (Both Galerius and Romula are also buried here.) Plundered by the Huns in the 5th century, it was abandoned in the 7th century when the Slavs occupied the region.

Highlights for tourists include the exceptional mosaics depicting the Greek gods Dionysos and Medusa and figures of Hercules. Hoards of Roman artefacts have been excavated from the site, including many portraits of Roman emperors, and numerous Roman gold coins which have helped to date the site.

Felix Romuliana is one of the stops on the "Roman Emperors' Birthplace Trail" which links 17 sites within what is now Serbia.

Answer: Turkey

Gobekli Tepe translates into English as "Potbelly Hill". Archaeologists have been slowly excavating this incredible site at Orencik in southern Turkey since 1996, and they believe that the most ancient artefacts may date back to the end of the Pleistocene, more than 15,000 years ago. So far, more than 200 20-foot high pillars, each weighing as much as 20 tonnes, have been either uncovered or identified by topographic scans.

A truly amazing site!

Answer: Lithuania

The Duke of Trakai was the monarch of the Lithuanians and the Ruthenians during medieval times. Trakai Island Castle, sometimes referred to as "Little Marienburg", was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's royal palace and a national stronghold.

The castle was later used as a prison and was abandoned in the 17th century. Restoration of the buildings and of the original frescoes painted on the interior walls was carried out by both the Russians and the Germans during their occupations in the early 20th century. A major reconstruction project that began in 1946 was completed fifteen years later.

Answer: Merida

Founded as the Roman town of Emerita Augusta in 25 B.C., it was the capital of the province of Lusitania which included all of modern-day Portugal and much of western Spain. It remained an important city through the periods of the Roman province of Hispania, the Muslim takeover of the early 7th century and subsequent Christian rule beginning in 1230. Renamed Merida the city of just over 58,000 (2012 Census) is the capital of one of Spain's 17 autonomous communities, Extremadura.

Although many of Merida's historical treasures were either destroyed or damaged during the Napoleonic invasion of the early 1800s, the city is still today home to more important ancient Roman monuments than any other Spanish site. The Temple of Diana, the 1st-century Arch of Trajan, the Villa Mitreo with its spectacular mosaic pavements, and Puente Romano, the longest of all surviving Roman bridges are amongst the highlights. Only 38 of the 82-foot high arched pillars of the magnificent Acueducto de los Milagros (meaning "Miraculous Aqueduct") remain: just 2,720 feet (or about half a mile) of the original 3.1 miles are still standing.

Answer: Iceland

Established in the year 930, Iceland's Althing is the world's oldest extant parliamentary institution. Its original home was located some 30 miles east of what would later become the city of Reykjavik, now the national capital. The Althing made the short journey to the west in 1844 and, in 1881, moved into the purpose-built building pictured, constructed of hewn Icelandic stone.

Answer: Bruges

The first fortifications here were built by the Romans in the 1st century B.C. Receiving its city charter in 1128, Bruges became an important city due to its location on numerous trade routes. One of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world, as travel became a more realistic proposition in the latter half of the 19th century Bruges established itself as one of the world's first "tourist destinations". Today, it is the capital of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium and this wonderful city attracts more than two million tourists annually.

Answer: Vienna

The 212-foot tall Wiener Riesenrad ("Vienna Giant Wheel") is one of the major tourist attractions in the Austrian capital, as well as one of the city's most recognizable symbols.

The demolition of the 20-year old, 328-foot high 'Grande Roue de Paris' in 1920 left Vienna's wheel as the world's tallest. It retained this distinction for 65 years until the completion of the 279-foot high Technostar in Japan. Vienna's wheel has featured in numerous blockbuster movies, notably "The Third Man" (in 1949) and James Bond's "The Living Daylights" (in 1987).

Wurstelprater, the amusement park behind the giant ferris wheel, occupies ground that was once the imperial hunting ground until Emperor Josef II opened it to the public in 1766.