Which fortress guards the entrance to Havana's harbor, with a lighthouse on its point?

Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro

Fusterlandia, in the Jaimanitas neighborhood, is famous for what?

Buildings covered in colorful mosaics

Havana Quiz: Old Havana, Forts and Classic Cars of Cuba

This Havana quiz explores Cuba's colorful capital, from the colonial streets of Old Havana and the dome of El Capitolio to the El Morro fortress, the nightly cannon ceremony, the Plaza de la Revolución, El Floridita's daiquiris, Coppelia ice cream, the mosaics of Fusterlandia and the Cuban National Ballet. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Founding
In which year did the Spanish found Havana at its present site on the harbor?
Buildings
Havana's domed El Capitolio, completed in 1929, closely resembles which building?
Forts
Which fortress guards the entrance to Havana's harbor, with a lighthouse on its point?
Ceremonies
What happens every night at 9 p.m. at the La Cabaña fortress?
Squares
The face of which revolutionary is shown in a steel outline on a building at Havana's Plaza de la Revolución?
Drinks
The El Floridita bar in Old Havana calls itself the cradle of which cocktail?
Dessert
Coppelia, a huge park in Havana's Vedado district, is famous for serving what?
Art
Fusterlandia, in the Jaimanitas neighborhood, is famous for what?
Dance
Which ballet company, led for decades by Alicia Alonso, performs at Havana's Gran Teatro?
Concerts
Which British rock band played a famous free concert in Havana in March 2016?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: In which year did the Spanish found Havana at its present site on the harbor?
Answer: 1519
The city's full name was San Cristóbal de La Habana. A ceiba tree at El Templete marks the spot where the first Mass is said to have been held.
Q2: Havana's domed El Capitolio, completed in 1929, closely resembles which building?
Answer: The United States Capitol
A replica diamond set in the floor beneath the dome marks kilometer zero for Cuba's highways. The building now houses Cuba's National Assembly again.
Q3: Which fortress guards the entrance to Havana's harbor, with a lighthouse on its point?
Answer: Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro
El Morro was built in the late 16th century to protect the city from pirates and enemy fleets. The British captured it in 1762 after a long siege.
Q4: What happens every night at 9 p.m. at the La Cabaña fortress?
Answer: A cannon is fired
Soldiers in 18th-century uniforms perform the cañonazo ceremony. The cannon once signaled that the city gates were closing for the night.
Q5: The face of which revolutionary is shown in a steel outline on a building at Havana's Plaza de la Revolución?
Answer: Che Guevara
A matching outline of Camilo Cienfuegos was added on another building. A tall memorial to José Martí stands at the center of the square.
Q6: The El Floridita bar in Old Havana calls itself the cradle of which cocktail?
Answer: The daiquiri
A bronze statue of Ernest Hemingway leans on the bar. The mojito is linked with another Havana bar, La Bodeguita del Medio.
Q7: Coppelia, a huge park in Havana's Vedado district, is famous for serving what?
Answer: Ice cream
Opened in 1966, Coppelia serves thousands of people every day, who often wait in long lines. A key scene in the film Strawberry and Chocolate takes place there.
Q8: Fusterlandia, in the Jaimanitas neighborhood, is famous for what?
Answer: Buildings covered in colorful mosaics
Artist José Fuster began decorating his home with tiles in the 1990s. Neighbors joined in, and dozens of houses are now covered in bright art.
Q9: Which ballet company, led for decades by Alicia Alonso, performs at Havana's Gran Teatro?
Answer: The Cuban National Ballet
Alonso danced and directed the company for more than 70 years despite losing most of her sight. The theater was renamed in her honor in 2015.
Q10: Which British rock band played a famous free concert in Havana in March 2016?
Answer: The Rolling Stones
Hundreds of thousands of people attended. Rock music had once been discouraged in Cuba, making the concert a historic moment.

Havana Quiz – Cuba's Colorful Capital

Havana, La Habana in Spanish, is the capital and largest city of Cuba. Sitting on the island's northwest coast beside a deep natural harbor, it is famous for colorful colonial buildings, classic American cars, music on every corner and the sea-splashed Malecón. Old Havana and its fortifications have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982.

The Spanish founded Havana in 1519, and it quickly became a key port where treasure fleets gathered before sailing to Spain. To defend the city from pirates and rival empires, the Spanish built huge fortresses such as El Morro and La Cabaña. Every night, soldiers still fire a cannon in the cañonazo ceremony.

In the early 20th century, Havana grew rich, building El Capitolio, grand hotels and theaters. It attracted writers, musicians and tourists, including Ernest Hemingway, who drank at El Floridita. After the 1959 revolution, led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, the city changed dramatically. The Plaza de la Revolución became the site of huge rallies.

Today, Havana is a city of contrasts. Restored colonial plazas sit beside crumbling buildings, and 1950s cars share the streets with modern taxis. The city is home to the Cuban National Ballet, Afro-Cuban music and dance, and creative spaces like Fusterlandia and the Fábrica de Arte Cubano.

Habaneros love to gather on the Malecón at sunset, queue for ice cream at Coppelia, listen to son and salsa, and watch baseball, Cuba's favorite sport.

Havana's neighborhoods each have their own feel. Old Havana is full of plazas and churches, Centro Habana is crowded and lively, and Vedado has wide streets, mansions, the Hotel Nacional and the University of Havana. Miramar, to the west, is home to embassies and seaside villas.

This quiz covers the history, landmarks, music and culture of Havana.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for travelers, history fans and music lovers.

When and why Havana was founded
El Capitolio and El Morro
The nightly cañonazo ceremony
The Plaza de la Revolución
El Floridita, Coppelia and Fusterlandia
The Cuban National Ballet and famous concerts

Quick Facts About Havana

Havana's Malecón seawall stretches about 8 kilometers.
The Hotel Nacional de Cuba opened in 1930.
Callejón de Hamel is an alley famous for Afro-Cuban art and rumba.
Havana's cathedral has a Baroque facade made of coral stone.
Many of the city's classic cars now work as taxis.
Havana celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2019.