What lies in the Catacombs beneath the streets of Paris?

The remains of millions of people

What is unusual about the Centre Pompidou, opened in 1977?

Its pipes and escalators are on the outside

Paris Quiz: Boulevards, Museums and Monuments of France

This Paris quiz explores the capital of France, from its 20 arrondissements and Haussmann's boulevards to Notre-Dame, Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Catacombs, the inside-out Centre Pompidou, the Musée d'Orsay, Hector Guimard's metro entrances and the baguette. Ten questions.

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

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Districts
Into how many numbered districts, called arrondissements, is Paris divided?
Cathedrals
In which year did Notre-Dame de Paris reopen after the devastating fire of 2019?
Basilicas
The white-domed Basilica of Sacré-Cœur stands on top of which Paris hill?
Monuments
Who ordered the construction of the Arc de Triomphe in 1806?
Underground
What lies in the Catacombs beneath the streets of Paris?
Architecture
What is unusual about the Centre Pompidou, opened in 1977?
Museums
The Musée d'Orsay, home to many Impressionist paintings, was originally built as what?
Planning
Who redesigned Paris in the 19th century with wide boulevards and cream-colored buildings?
Metro
Many Paris metro entrances feature Art Nouveau designs by which architect?
Bread
In 2022, UNESCO added which French bread and its baking culture to its intangible heritage list?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Into how many numbered districts, called arrondissements, is Paris divided?
Answer: 20
The arrondissements spiral outward clockwise from the center, like a snail shell. The 1st is around the Louvre, and the 20th is in the east.
Q2: In which year did Notre-Dame de Paris reopen after the devastating fire of 2019?
Answer: 2024
The reopening ceremony took place in December 2024. Craftspeople rebuilt the oak roof frame and the spire using traditional techniques.
Q3: The white-domed Basilica of Sacré-Cœur stands on top of which Paris hill?
Answer: Montmartre
Montmartre is the highest natural point in the city. Artists such as Picasso and Van Gogh once lived in its winding streets.
Q4: Who ordered the construction of the Arc de Triomphe in 1806?
Answer: Napoleon
It honors those who fought for France. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies beneath it, with a flame rekindled every evening.
Q5: What lies in the Catacombs beneath the streets of Paris?
Answer: The remains of millions of people
In the late 18th century, overflowing cemeteries were emptied into old quarry tunnels. Bones and skulls are stacked in neat patterns along the walls.
Q6: What is unusual about the Centre Pompidou, opened in 1977?
Answer: Its pipes and escalators are on the outside
Architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers color-coded the pipes: blue for air, green for water and yellow for electricity. It holds a major modern art collection.
Q7: The Musée d'Orsay, home to many Impressionist paintings, was originally built as what?
Answer: A railway station
The Gare d'Orsay opened for the 1900 World's Fair. Its giant clocks still look over the main hall of the museum.
Q8: Who redesigned Paris in the 19th century with wide boulevards and cream-colored buildings?
Answer: Georges-Eugène Haussmann
Under Napoleon III, Haussmann demolished crowded medieval streets. His boulevards, parks and sewers shaped the Paris seen today.
Q9: Many Paris metro entrances feature Art Nouveau designs by which architect?
Answer: Hector Guimard
Guimard's green cast-iron entrances look like plant stems and flowers. Dozens of them survive, including two with glass canopies.
Q10: In 2022, UNESCO added which French bread and its baking culture to its intangible heritage list?
Answer: The baguette
France bakes billions of baguettes each year. Paris holds an annual contest for the best baguette, and the winner supplies the Élysée Palace.

Paris Quiz – The City of Light

Paris, the capital of France, is one of the most visited and admired cities in the world. Known as the City of Light, it is famous for art, fashion, food, romance and monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame and the Arc de Triomphe. The banks of the Seine through the city center are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Paris began as a settlement of a Celtic tribe called the Parisii on the Île de la Cité. It grew into the capital of the French kings and the center of European culture. In the 19th century, Baron Haussmann rebuilt much of the city for Napoleon III, creating wide boulevards, elegant buildings and parks. The city is divided into 20 arrondissements that spiral out from the center.

The city's monuments tell its story. Notre-Dame, a Gothic masterpiece, reopened in 2024 after a fire. The Arc de Triomphe honors French soldiers, and the Champs-Élysées leads toward the Louvre. On the hill of Montmartre, the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur looks over the rooftops.

Paris has world-class museums. The Louvre holds the Mona Lisa, the Musée d'Orsay displays Impressionist art in a former train station and the Centre Pompidou shows modern works in a building with its pipes on the outside. Below the streets, the Catacombs hold the bones of millions of people.

Daily life in Paris is about cafés, bakeries, markets and parks such as the Luxembourg Gardens. The city hosted the Summer Olympics in 2024.

Paris is also a world capital of fashion and food. Fashion weeks bring designers and models twice a year, and the city has dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants. Simple pleasures matter just as much, from a warm croissant to a picnic beside the Seine on a summer evening.

This quiz covers the history, landmarks, museums and culture of Paris.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for travelers, art lovers and fans of French culture.

How Paris is divided into arrondissements
Notre-Dame, Sacré-Cœur and the Arc de Triomphe
The Catacombs beneath the city
The Centre Pompidou and the Musée d'Orsay
Haussmann and Guimard's metro entrances
The baguette and Parisian daily life

Quick Facts About Paris

The Paris metro opened in 1900.
Point Zéro in front of Notre-Dame marks the center of France's road distances.
The Luxembourg Gardens surround the French Senate.
Paris has a small replica of the Statue of Liberty on an island in the Seine.
Shakespeare and Company is a famous English-language bookshop.
Le Marais is known for its old mansions and boutiques.