Europe has 44 sovereign countries โ and just as many capitals to know. While Paris, Madrid and Berlin pose no problem at all, around a dozen European capitals remain systematically unknown to most people. This quiz and guide will help you master every single one.
The 44 European capitals
Western Europe (the well-known ones)
- ๐ซ๐ท France โ Paris
- ๐ฉ๐ช Germany โ Berlin
- ๐ช๐ธ Spain โ Madrid
- ๐ฎ๐น Italy โ Rome
- ๐ต๐น Portugal โ Lisbon
- ๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom โ London
- ๐ง๐ช Belgium โ Brussels
- ๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands โ Amsterdam (seat of government: The Hague)
- ๐ฆ๐น Austria โ Vienna
- ๐จ๐ญ Switzerland โ Bern
- ๐ฎ๐ช Ireland โ Dublin
- ๐ฑ๐บ Luxembourg โ Luxembourg City
Northern Europe (less well-known)
- ๐ธ๐ช Sweden โ Stockholm
- ๐ณ๐ด Norway โ Oslo
- ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark โ Copenhagen
- ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland โ Helsinki
- ๐ฎ๐ธ Iceland โ Reykjavik
The Baltic states (frequently mixed up)
- ๐ช๐ช Estonia โ Tallinn (the northernmost, closest to Finland)
- ๐ฑ๐ป Latvia โ Riga (the largest Baltic capital)
- ๐ฑ๐น Lithuania โ Vilnius (the southernmost, closest to Belarus)
Memory trick: North to south: Estonia-Tallinn, Latvia-Riga, Lithuania-Vilnius -> "ET LR LV"
Central Europe
- ๐ต๐ฑ Poland โ Warsaw
- ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia โ Prague
- ๐ธ๐ฐ Slovakia โ Bratislava
- ๐ญ๐บ Hungary โ Budapest
- ๐ท๐ด Romania โ Bucharest
- ๐ง๐ฌ Bulgaria โ Sofia
- ๐ญ๐ท Croatia โ Zagreb
- ๐ธ๐ฎ Slovenia โ Ljubljana
Classic trap: Bratislava (Slovakia) and Ljubljana (Slovenia) are constantly swapped. Trick: Slovakia -> Bratislava; Slovenia -> Ljubljana (both start with "Slo", but only one has an "n" like "Ljun...", so anchor on Ljubljana's distinctive "Lj-" instead of guessing).
Former Yugoslavia (the hardest)
- ๐ท๐ธ Serbia โ Belgrade
- ๐ง๐ฆ Bosnia and Herzegovina โ Sarajevo
- ๐ฒ๐ช Montenegro โ Podgorica
- ๐ฒ๐ฐ North Macedonia โ Skopje
- ๐ฝ๐ฐ Kosovo โ Pristina
- ๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania โ Tirana
Eastern Europe
- ๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine โ Kyiv
- ๐ง๐พ Belarus โ Minsk
- ๐ฒ๐ฉ Moldova โ Chiศinฤu
- ๐ท๐บ Russia โ Moscow
Micro-states (frequently forgotten)
- ๐ฒ๐จ Monaco โ Monaco (city-state)
- ๐ป๐ฆ Vatican City โ Vatican City
- ๐ธ๐ฒ San Marino โ San Marino (city)
- ๐ฑ๐ฎ Liechtenstein โ Vaduz
- ๐ฆ๐ฉ Andorra โ Andorra la Vella
The 10 classic traps of the European capitals quiz
| Question | Trap | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands capital | Amsterdam | Amsterdam (official) / The Hague (government) |
| Switzerland capital | Zurich or Geneva | Bern |
| Australia capital | Sydney | Canberra (outside Europe, but commonly tested alongside it) |
| Turkey capital | Istanbul | Ankara |
| Russia capital | Saint Petersburg | Moscow |
| Estonia or Latvia = Tallinn? | Confusion | Estonia |
| Slovakia or Slovenia = Bratislava? | Confusion | Slovakia |
| Is Kosovo recognized? | Uncertainty | Partially recognized country, capital Pristina |
| Cyprus capital | Limassol | Nicosia |
| Malta capital | Valetta or Valletta? | Valletta |
Play and learn with Geo-Atlas
Geo-Atlas offers a game mode with the "European countries" pack โ you can focus exclusively on European nations. As you play, you discover each capital in the country's profile page after the round ends.
3-day memorization method
Day 1 (30 min): Western + Northern Europe โ you probably already know 80% of these Day 2 (30 min): Baltic states + former Yugoslavia โ the hardest ones, focus here Day 3 (20 min): Eastern Europe + micro-states + trap review