Amsterdam and Paris: Two 'Plane' Cities Quiz

Answer: Schiphol

Schiphol Airport is located near the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The airport is the main base of the Dutch airline KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij), one of the oldest airlines still in operation today. Schiphol Airport was built in 1916 as a military airport. Today, Schiphol Airport is a major international gateway with flights that arrive from the Americas to connect to smaller cities within Europe, as well as to more remote places such as Southern Africa, the Middle East and Far East Asia.

Answer: Amsterdam Centraal Station

Amsterdam Centraal Station is the main train station in the city of Amsterdam. The station was first built in 1889, but has had several restorations. The station stands at the northern end of the city. There are several rail lines that service the station.

These include the Intercity-Express as well as the Eurostar and Thalys high speed rail services. One of the interesting features of the area surrounding Centraal Station is a multi-story garage designed for bicycles as the canals and narrow streets in the historical parts of Amsterdam make automotive travel limited.

Answer: Queensgracht

The city of Amsterdam is known for its many canals. These canals are incorporated in to the city's urban design. They form arcs around the city that fan out from the Centraal Station, spreading out like the rings on a tree stump. The Siegel is closest to the station and the Herengracht (Lords' Canal) is the second closest.

The Keizersgracht (Emperor's Canal) would be third from the station and the Prinsengracht (Prince's Canal) is fourth. Anne Frank's House is located adjecent to the Prinsengracht. Queensgracht is not the name of a canal in Amsterdam.

Answer: De Wallen

The city of Amsterdam has become well known for its legal prostitution and very liberal laws regarding the use of marijuana for recreation. The De Wallen section of Amsterdam is known as the infamous Red Light District. Here, patrons will be able to see women showing off their 'merchandise' in the window.

Although Amsterdam's Red Light District is the most recognized, other countries in Europe have Red Light Districts of their own, including Germany and Belgium.

Answer: To assist residents who needed to move large furniture

Many of the older homes in the city of Amsterdam have a hook at the top of them. These hooks were placed on the houses to help residents move large items, such as furniture. Residents would be able to attach a pulley to the hooks which would help them lift or lower an object to the desired height and the object would be brought in or out through the windows.

The staircases inside the homes were often too narrow for bulky items such as couches and large wardrobes to fit through.

Answer: Charles de Gaulle

The main international airport in Paris is named after Charles de Gaulle, a French war hero who helped defend the nation against the Nazis during World War II. He would also serve as the nation's president for ten years. The airport opened in 1974 and eventually became Paris' main international airport.

As with Schiphol Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport (the home of Air France) has become a major international gateway and is one of the busiest airports in Europe. Air France once operated the Concorde, the world's first supersonic airliner from 1976-2003.

Answer: Gustave

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous landmarks in the city of Paris. It was built in 1889 and was the tallest mad made object in the world until 1930. The Eiffel Tower stands at a height of 1,063 ft (324 m). The tower was named for French engineer Gustave Eiffel who designed the structure for the World's Fair that was hosted by Paris in 1889.

The tower features many lights which illuminate it at night, as well as an observation desk and a few restaurants for tourists.

Answer: The Louvre

The Louvre museum currently stands on land that was once occupied by a medieval castle built in the 12th century. The current building was completed in the 16th century to be used as a royal palace. The Louvre was later made into a museum which first opened its doors on August 10, 1793.

It is the home of many famous works of art, such as the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. The glass pyramid that stands at the Louvre was designed by famous architect I.M. Pei and was completed on April 1, 1989.

Answer: Île de la Cité

The famous Parisian cathedral known as Notre Dame was built in the 12th century. The cathedral stands on the Île de la Cité (Island of the City), a small island that sits within the Seine River. The cathedral became even more famous due to its role in the novel, "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", which told the story of a fictional ogre named Quasimodo who was employed as the bell ringer at the cathedral. On April 15, 2019, since this picture was taken, Notre Dame was nearly destroyed in a massive fire that occurred during a renovation project.

However, the fire was contained and the majority of the structure was saved.

Answer: Love locks

Paris has a reputation of being a romantic city and it is often visited by lovers and honeymooners from across the world. One of the traditions that had developed in Paris was for a couple to place a padlock on one of the bridges that span the Seine River.

These locks would symbolize a couple's unbreakable bond with one another. However, the excessive weight caused by placing the love locks on the bridges began to affect their structural integrity. The city government was forced to remove the love locks and ban future ones to ensure that the bridges would not collapse.