A Journey to Tourist Attractions Around the World Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of the most tourist-visited cities in the world is Paris, France. After all, it boasts the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe and the Cathedral of Notre Dame. There is, however, another site which attracts over 300,000 visitors annually, and somewhat surprisingly perhaps, it is a cemetery, the largest within the city limits of the French capital. Can you pick the proper plot?

Answer: Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Pere Lachaise Cemetery opened in 1804. Over two hundred years later, it is the final resting place for over one million people. With space for future plots diminishing each year, there is an actual waiting list for future interments.
Among those buried at Pere Lachaise are "The Little Sparrow" singer Edith Piaf, actress Sara Bernhardt, composers George Bizet and Frederic Chopin, mime Marcel Marceu, Irish playwright Oscar Wilde, and American singer Jim Morrison of "The Doors".

Les Invalides is the last home of many military heroes, including Napoleon Bonaparte, WWII Allied Supreme Commander Ferdinand Foch, and former Army Captain Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, who wrote "La Marseillaise", which became the French national anthem in 1795.

Emile Zola, Marie Curie, Louis Braille, Victor Hugo, and Francois-Marie Arouet ("Voltaire"), are buried in the Pantheon.

Among the internees at Montparnasse are authors Jean-Paul Sartre and Guy de Maupassant, as well as composer Camille Saint-Saens.

2. The world is blessed with many beautiful ancient museums that draw millions of visitors year after year. If you want to see Botticelli's "Adoration of the Magi", you can find it in The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. If Edvard Munch' "The Scream" is more to your liking, just head to The National Gallery in Oslo, Norway. If however, you'd just as soon see some really, really, awful works, there is a museum for that as well. It is simply called "The Museum of Bad Art". Where would one find the MOBA?

Answer: Massachusetts, U.S.A.

They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I have to believe a lot of folks' eyes are more accepting of what others might consider to be, at best, mediocre art, since the MOBA actually has three branches! You can find some "different" pieces there, including "Sunday on the Pot with George", artist unknown (or reticent to admit to it), and Mari Newman's classic work that must be seen to be believed, entitled "Juggling Dog in Hula Skirt". If you need directions to their locations in Brookline, Dedham or Somerville, MA, just visit them at http://www.museumofbadart.org/.

Interesting fact: Not to be outdone, the good folks in Melbourne, Australia hold an annual event known as MOPBA for those interested in seeing the Museum of Particularly Bad Art. Really.

3. What sophisticated world travelers could ever forgive themselves if they realized that in their globe trotting, they had failed to see a truly unique world site, the Museum of Toilets? They say it was formally dedicated on March 19, 1994, and I do NOT want to know exactly what they mean by that phrase. Take a seat and take a guess, where can this beautiful tribute to toiletry be found?

Answer: New Delhi, India

The "full" title of this lovely facility is "The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets". Many charming styles of toilets from many different time periods and civilizations can be found if you take the time to sniff around New Delhi. You'll see how the art of toiletry has evolved over the centuries and yet maintained its noble purpose. Differing designs and usage of new technologies are displayed. One suggestion for when you "go", wear old shoes!

4. Not everyone's taste in movies is exactly the same. That's one reason the Asian Queer Film Festival is held every other year. It is an opportunity for filmmakers from any of the 49 recognized states, from Afghanistan to Yemen, to showcase their work. Each event includes film-watching and discussion. Guest speakers from the industry are also invited. Where in Asia does this take place?

Answer: Tokyo, Japan

The festival began in 2007, and usually lasts over two weekends in the spring. With an estimated population of four billion people, Asia does not lack for potential attendees. One of the pictures shown at the 2012 get-together was "Two Weddings and a Funeral", directed by South Korean Kim Jho Gwang-soo. Typically a dozen or so films, shorts, and documentaries are aired over the length of the festival. If you'd like to go but don't speak any Asian languages, not to worry, they are all subtitled in English. Tickets for individual film showings as well as the entire festival can be purchased in advance. For pricing and dates for the next festival you can visit www.aqff.jp at your convenience.

5. Remember back in 1963, when Alfred Hitchcock scared the bejeezus out of folks when flocks of our fine-feathered friends wreaked havoc in CA, with "The Birds"? OK, that was at least fathomable since most birds do, in fact, fly. On the other hand, fish usually don't. But they can be seen flying through the air as "part of the show" for tourists at Pike Place Fish Market. Can you name the location of this popular American spot without floundering?

Answer: Seattle, WA

As you approach the market, you'll see a sign, "Caution: Low Flying Fish". The Pike Place Fish Market has been around since the days of prohibition, but not always to great success. In fact, it almost went "belly-up" (do fish have bellies?) in the late 1980s. Drastic times called for drastic measures, and so a consultant was called in, and together they came up with the idea that makes them unique. I've been there and it's great fun watching employees yell out an order and then see a flying fish tossed 20-30 feet for wrapping. On a nice day the workers (who quite obviously enjoy their jobs) entertain up to 10,000 folks in the festive atmosphere.

A few times a day, an unwary group will be present when a fishmonger decides to throw a foam fish in their direction, to the howls of those not in the line of fire. Their success is no fluke (sorry), as CNN has named Pike Place Fish Market one of the three most fun places to work in the U.S. of A.

6. Everybody's taste is different about where they would like to spend their vacation time touring. Before I go any further with this one, I must ask a rather personal question. Are you now, or have you ever been a vampire? If so you might want to skip the annual British Garlic Festival which has been held since the mid-eighties in the town of Newchurch. Where in the Kingdom is Newchurch?

Answer: It's on the Isle of Wight

There is fun, musical entertainment and food, food, food. All the foods share a common ingredient: garlic. How'd you like to sample a cone full of garlic ice cream, or sip a nice cup of garlic tea or cider?. It's all here plus much more. There are cooking demos by chefs noted for their culinary recipes with the cloves.

The show attracts big time musical acts. Scheduled to appear in August 2013 (August 17-18) are (among others) The Beach Boys and Madonna, and as always lots of local groups do their thing as well.

While you're there you can watch jugglers as you sip some nice garlic beer - yummy! (Personally, I'd try to sneak my own in). P.S.: Don't forget to pack a toothbrush and some mints.

7. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain is one of the most visited countries in the European Union, and the world. Its over 45 airports welcome in excess of 50 million tourists annually. From Barcelona to Valencia, Cordoba to Toledo, you can see some of the most beautiful artworks in the world displayed at the many museums throughout the country. If you had a hankering to see works in the beautiful Prado Museum, what city would you have to visit?

Answer: Madrid

When visiting the Prado Museum you can see works by Titian, Francisco de Goya, Diego Velazquez, Hieronymous Bosch and Peter Paul Rubens, among many others. Originally designed in the late 1780s, the Prado first opened its doors in 1819. The latest estimates are that over three million art lovers visit every year.

8. In 2007, "Harpers" magazine published an issue which listed the most frequently visited tourist attractions around the globe. It also showed the estimated number of travelers who went to each of the sites annually. You've probably heard of most of the top 25, and perhaps even visited a few. Which of the following was NOT included in the top 25?

Answer: The Statue of Liberty, U.S.A.

Surprisingly (to me, at least), "The Lady with the Lamp" was number 36, one spot ahead of The Vatican, in Rome, Italy. The 151 foot tall Statue of Liberty overlooks New York Harbor from her home on Liberty Island. When it arrived in a copious number of crates as a gift from France aboard "The Isere", the island was known as Bedloe's Island. Designed by French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, the iconic statue was dedicated in a ceremony led by President Grover Cleveland on October 28, 1886. Over four million people visit the Statue of Liberty each year.

Trafalgar Square, fourth on the list, plays host to 15 million folks a year.
Everland, number 16, gets over seven million, and Centre Pompidou is the 25th most visited with five million guests.

*Please note some of the places on the list are free of charge, so estimates of visitors are just that, (good) estimates.

Interesting fact: When Bartholdi was builing the statue, he had the assistance of another French designer, a man named Gustave Eiffel, whose eponymous tower in Gay Paree was 18th on the list, with over seven million folks flocking to see it annually.

9. On the list of "Forbes" magazines most visited tourist attractions worldwide, some places that you might expect to see in the top 25 didn't make the list, while others which you may not have expected to crack the top 25 in fact did. Only one of the following sites was part of the 25 most popular tourist attractions in the world. Can your sense of direction lead to the proper place?

Answer: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada/ New York state, U.S.A.

Niagara Falls with approximately 15 million visitors, came in sixth on the list. It has been one of, if not the most, popular honeymoon sites for over 200 years. Among the first happy couples to celebrate their nuptials at the Falls were Napoleon Bonaparte's kid brother, Jerome, and his "Betsy", in 1803.

The foolish idea of trying to go over the falls in a barrel began back in 1901, when for some reason a 63 year old school teacher from MI decided it would be fun to try. She was lucky enough to live to talk about it, unlike others who followed her and were never seen again. Another popular attraction is "The Maid of the Mist", actually several boats that ply the waters, some capable of carrying up to 600 passengers.

The majestic Grand Canyon came in 31st, with over five million visitors. Rome's signature Coliseum was next, with more than four and a half million guests. The beautiful Tivoli Gardens (number 39) plays host to about four million tourists a year.

10. Machu Picchu is one of the most visited sites in all of South America. It is believed to have been built as a palatial estate in the mid-15th century. Machu Picchu stood virtually unknown to the rest of the world until 1911, when American explorer Hiram Bingham came upon it. In which S.A. country is it located?

Answer: Peru

Historians and archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was built for the emperor Pachacuti. It stands almost 8,000 feet above sea level in the Sacred Valley, and is considered by Peruvians to be a religious site and historical sanctuary. It was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1983. Machu Picchu is Peru's most popular tourist attraction, receiving an estimated 400,000 plus visitors annually.

It is located approximately 50 miles from Cusco, the Incan capital. If you'd like to read a first-hand description of the site, pick up a copy of "The Lost City of the Incas", by Hiram Bingham.

Source: Author paulmallon

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

Tourism is a major source of income for many towns, states and countries across the globe. Some oft-visited sites are fairly recent, while some have been around for centuries. Let's do a little arm-chair sightseeing, shall we?

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