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Capitals of Europe

Capitals of Europe: a chapter of the Capitals of the World Book, with the capitals people get wrong and the stories behind them.

10 cards · Geography

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Each Zap teaches up to 5 new cards, so you learn the deck a few at a time.

Checked by the Brain Zap team · reviewed 26 Oct 2026

Sources: List of national capitals (Wikipedia), The World Factbook (CIA)

Preview

  • Capital of France

    Show answer: Capital of France

    Paris

    Learn more: About a fifth of France's people live in the Paris region, the country's centre since the Middle Ages.

  • Capital of Germany

    Show answer: Capital of Germany

    Berlin

    Learn more: Bonn was West Germany's capital; Berlin became the capital of reunited Germany in 1990.

  • Capital of Spain

    Show answer: Capital of Spain

    Madrid

    Learn more: Philip II moved his court there in 1561, partly because it sat at the centre of Spain.

  • Capital of Italy

    Show answer: Capital of Italy

    Rome

    Learn more: Vatican City, the world's smallest country, sits inside it; it has been Italy's capital since 1871.

  • Capital of Switzerland

    Show answer: Capital of Switzerland

    Bern

    Learn more: Zurich and Geneva are bigger, but this 'federal city' was picked in 1848 as a compromise.

About this topic

Europe packs dozens of countries into a small continent, and most of their capitals are old cities that grew around a river, a port or a royal court. A few are surprises: Switzerland's capital is not Zurich or Geneva, and the Dutch government doesn't sit in Amsterdam. Many capitals were chosen as a compromise between rival cities, and some were built from nothing to give a country a fresh start.

This is a chapter of the Capitals of the World Book. Each card asks one question, with a hint before you answer and a short reason after. Once you know most of this chapter, the next one starts arriving in your Daily Zap.

All 10 cards

  1. Capital of France

    Paris

    Learn more: About a fifth of France's people live in the Paris region, the country's centre since the Middle Ages.

  2. Capital of Germany

    Berlin

    Learn more: Bonn was West Germany's capital; Berlin became the capital of reunited Germany in 1990.

  3. Capital of Spain

    Madrid

    Learn more: Philip II moved his court there in 1561, partly because it sat at the centre of Spain.

  4. Capital of Italy

    Rome

    Learn more: Vatican City, the world's smallest country, sits inside it; it has been Italy's capital since 1871.

  5. Capital of Switzerland

    Bern

    Learn more: Zurich and Geneva are bigger, but this 'federal city' was picked in 1848 as a compromise.

  6. Capital of the Netherlands

    Amsterdam

    Learn more: It is the capital by the constitution, but the government and parliament sit in The Hague.

  7. Capital of Poland

    Warsaw

    Learn more: Its Old Town was rebuilt so faithfully that it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  8. Capital of Norway

    Oslo

    Learn more: The Peace Prize is awarded there each December; the other Nobel prizes are given in Stockholm.

  9. Capital of Ireland

    Dublin

    Learn more: Founded as a Viking settlement, its region is now home to more than a quarter of Ireland's people.

  10. Capital of Greece

    Athens

    Learn more: Named after the goddess Athena, it is one of the oldest cities in the world that people still live in.

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