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Home to the world’s most expensive clothes rack, Paris is a city with many frivolous associations.

City of fashion, city of romance, city of light; city of baguettes. Hunchbacks, guillotines, absinthe fairies and dead rock stars all play a part in Paris’ tumultuous history.

Did you know that the French have sex more often in a year than any other culture? It’s official.

Paris: laundry capital (1)

Bearing this in mind, how much do you actually know about Paris? Think you’re something of a Francophile? How about proving it by taking our Diabolically Difficult French Capital Quiz?

Here are 25 twists and turns to keep you guessing and gurning right up to the end. If you do well, give yourself a pat on the back and order a crêpe; if you don’t, buy a Citroёn 2CV and spend a fortnight on the Boulevard Périphérique.

Either way, we hope you thoroughly enjoy yourselves…now let’s French it up a bit.

Sandrine's Diabolically Difficult French Capital Quiz

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Crêpe on your plate

François Hollande (23)

You have completed Sandrine's Diabolically Difficult French Capital Quiz.

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Your answers are highlighted below.

Question 1

French: body language (2)

Who said, "In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language"?

A	George Bush
B	Carla Bruni
C	Mark Twain
D	Elton John

Question 1 Explanation:

"The French have no word for 'entrepreneur'..."

Question 2

Louvre: pyramidal (3)

Which of these pieces is NOT exhibited in the Louvre?

A	The Thinker
B	Venus de Milo
C	Mona Lisa
D	Sarcophagus of Echmounazor II

Question 2 Explanation:

The Louvre holds over 380,000 masterpieces, including the 16th century oil portrait 'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo da Vinci. However, The Thinker, Auguste Rodin’s masterpiece, is housed in the Rodin Museum, which is also located in Paris.

Question 3

Sunset cemetery (4)

In which cemetery can you find the graves of celebrities including Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Frédéric Chopin?

A	Passy
B	Montparnasse
C	Père Lachaise
D	Bercy

Question 3 Explanation:

Père Lachaise cemetery is the largest in Paris. It was built by Napoleon in 1804. Thousands of visitors come each year to visit the graves of these important people, including Honoré Balzac, Guillaume Apollinaire, Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, Jean de la Fontaine and many others.

Question 4

Moulin Rouge (5)

Which incident in Moulin Rouge caused a local scandal?

A	Bal des Quat’z’Arts
B	The New show
C	The Circus
D	Petomane

Question 4 Explanation:

This famous cabaret wasn’t always terribly appreciated. The Bal des Quart’z’Arts invoked a scandal. The parade of a naked “Cleopatra”, carried by four men and surrounded by other naked girls on a bed of flowers, defied the puritanical morals of the time.

Question 5

Eiffel Tower under construction

What was the Eiffel Tower built for?

A	To celebrate Napoleon’s centenary
B	To celebrate French engineering
C	To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Revolution
D	To dry the washing of the city residents

Question 5 Explanation:

The Iron Lady was built for the World Exhibition in 1889, held in celebration of the French Revolution of 1789. In the beginning the tower was supposed to last only for the duration of the exposition but it still stands today, despite all the protests from contemporary artists who feared Paris would lose its charm and personality. Nowadays many tourists from all over the world come to see the Eiffel Tower and we couldn’t imagine Paris without it; the tower has become the symbol of the city.

Question 6

Parisian café (6)

Which famous movie features this Parisian café?

A	Midnight in Paris
B	Amelie
C	Paris, I love you
D	2 Days in Paris

Question 6 Explanation:

Café des deux moulins, located on 15 rue Lepic in Paris, is the café where Amelie works. This movie was an international co-production between French and German companies.

Question 7

Arc de drapeau (7)

What is the motto of Paris?

A	It is tossed by the waves without being overwhelmed
B	When the seagulls follow the trawler it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea
C	Death to all but metal
D	A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Question 7 Explanation:

“Fluctuat Nec Mergitur” is a latin phrase that is a reference to the boat on the city’s coat of arms, itself probably based on the shape of the île de la Cité.

Question 8

Prison (8)

Which prison, infamous for its role during the French Revolution, gives its name to a square in Paris?

A	Alcatraz
B	Monte Cristo
C	Guantanamo Bay
D	Bastille

Question 8 Explanation:

Originally built as a fortress as part of Paris’ defenses in the 14th century, the Bastille was later converted into a prison to hold political prisoners. It was sacked during the famous ‘storming of the Bastille’ during the French Revolution on 14th July 1789. The area it once occupied is now called Place de la Bastille and holds the July Column.

Question 9

Skulling in the catacombs (9)

How many people are buried in Paris' famous catacombs?

A	1.5 million
B	3 million
C	4.5 million
D	6 million

Question 9 Explanation:

In 1786 the Paris municipality decided to empty all Parisian cemeteries. The bones of millions of people were stocked in a substratum of the city and it has created this huge bone-yard.

Question 10

Versailles (10)

Which famous royal figure is said to haunt the Palace of Versailles?

A	Charlemagne
B	Louis XIV
C	Marie-Antoinette
D	The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Question 10 Explanation:

This anecdote comes from 1901 in the gardens of the Petit Trianon by two English women who regarded Marie-Antoinette as a paranormal presence. Although parapsychologists have had doubts about their supposed view, the two women published a book entitled “an Adventure” in 1911, which was very successful and became a legend of Versailles and Marie-Antoinette, specially in the Anglophone world.

Question 11

Tower Bridge: not Parisian (11)

Which is the oldest bridge in Paris?

A	Pont Mirabeau
B	Pont Neuf
C	Pont Alexandre III
D	Pont de Paris

Question 11 Explanation:

Paradoxically, Pont Neuf (“New Bridge” in French) is the oldest bridge in Paris. It’s also the best known bridge and, together with the Pont Alexandre III, one of the most beautiful of the city. In the 16th Century there were only two bridges that crossed the Seine. However, they were in a bad state and very often overcrowded. King Henry III decided to build a new bridge in 1578 that officially opened in 1607. The rest, as they say, is history.

Question 12

Sacré Coeur (12)

In which honour was the Sacré Coeur basilica in Montmarte built ?

A	To honour the memory of those who died during the First World War
B	To atone for the sins of Paris
C	To celebrate the victory of Austerlitz
D	Because the city lacked a basilica

Question 12 Explanation:

The Sacré Coeur was built from 1875 to 1919. The construction plan of the basilica had its origins in a speech by Fournier in September 1870 (the day of the declaration of the Third French Republic). He attributed the defeat of France in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 to a divine punishment after a century of moral decay since the French Revolution of 1789.

Question 13

Which writer's house? (13)

Which famous writer’s house can be found in the 16th arrondissement?

A	Honoré de Balzac
B	Victor Hugo
C	Marcel Proust
D	Emile Zola

Question 13 Explanation:

Balzac’s house is a museum in the 16th arrondissement at 47 rue Raynouard. In the 19th century it was the residence of the French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850). Even though much of the furniture was sold after his widow’s death, the museum still holds Balzac’s writing desk and chair, his turquoise-studded cane and his tea kettle and a coffee pot. The museum opens everyday except Mondays and holidays.

Question 14

Guillotine (14)

Which major Paris square was the site of the guillotine during the French Revolution?

A	Place des Vosges
B	Place Vendôme
C	Grand Place
D	Place de la Concorde

Question 14 Explanation:

This square - the largest in Paris - was where a guillotine was placed. 1,119 people were beheaded, including Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, in 1793.

Question 15

Dogtanian

What type of dog was Dogtanian?

A	Greyhound
B	Poodle
C	Beagle
D	French Setter

Question 15 Explanation:

Amassing a small fortune for his role in The Muskahounds, Dogtanian (real name unknown) was a tragic victim of the fame machinery. A failed music career led to drink, drugs and other nefarious activities, until the French RSPCA was forced to intervene. Dogtanian passed away in his RSPCA kennel at the young age of 14, leaving behind nothing but debts and a half-chewed rubber bone.

Question 16

Ritz Paris

Which French celebrity lived in the Ritz for 30 years before finally dying there in 1971?

A	Gérard Depardieu
B	Coco Chanel
C	Jacques Cousteau
D	Edith Piaf

Question 16 Explanation:

The famous designer Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Bonheur Chanel lived from 19th August 1883 until 10th January 1971. She was the only fashion designer to be named in Time 100’s Most Important People of the Century.

Question 17

Place de la Concorde obelisk (15)

Why is there an Egyptian-style obelisk on Place de la Concorde?

A	It was designed by a French architect who studied in Egypt
B	It was built in honour of all the French victories over Egypt
C	It doesn't fit in the Louvre
D	It was a gift from Egypt to France

Question 17 Explanation:

The Obelisk is a 3,300-year old monument that stands at the centre of Place de la Concorde. The hieroglyphics appearing on the structure commemorate the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. It was a gift to King Charles X by the Egyptian viceroy Méhémet Ali in 1829. In return for the obelisk the French King offered a large clock to Méhémet Ali, that is still held in the clock tower of the mosque that can be found at the summit of the Citadel of Cairo.

Question 18

Napoleon: nosy (16)

In which of these monuments would you find the tomb of Napoleon?

A	Dôme des Invalides
B	Arc du Carrousel
C	Pantheon
D	Sainte-Chapelle

Question 18 Explanation:

In 1671 King Louis XIV converted Eglise Saint Louis des Invalides into a home for disabled war veterans. This home then becaome known as Dôme des Invalides. In 1840 the remains of the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte were disinterred from St Helena (where he had been buried 19 years earlier) and entombed under the Dome in Les Invalides. Members of Napoleon’s family are also there as they are all considered as French military heroes.

Question 19

Museums: secure (17)

Which museum began its life as a fortress and palace?

A	Orsay
B	Rodin
C	Luxembourg
D	Louvre

Question 19 Explanation:

Believe it or not, the Louvre Palace was a fortress built by Philip II in the 12th Century. Charles V turned it into a royal residence in 1546. Since then the Louvre Palace was the home of the French royal family until 1674 when Louis XIV moved with his family to Versailles Palace. Finally, during the French Revolution, it was decided than the Louvre should be used to display the masterpieces of the country.

Question 20

Quasimodo lives (18)

Who wrote the world-renowned novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame?

A	Victor Hugo
B	Alexandre Dumas
C	Marcel Proust
D	Emile Zola

Question 20 Explanation:

Besides capturing the imagination of a million romantics and being converted into an animated film by Disney, Hugo’s novel encouraged a new reverence towards the cathedral. For some time Notre Dame was allowed to fall into disrepair, but the publication of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame incited in Parisians a newfound respect in their cathedral.

Question 21

Which food item is NOT mentioned in Flight of the Conchords song Foux du fa fa?

A	Baguette
B	Coq au vin
C	Soup du jour
D	Boeuf

Question 21 Explanation:

Watch the clip!

Question 22

Mystery Square (19)

What is the name of this square, which is the oldest square in Paris?

A	Place Dauphine
B	Place des Vosges
C	Place de l’Europe
D	Place de Paris

Question 22 Explanation:

Formerly known as Place Royale, this square was built during the reign of King Henri IV and has long served as a duelling spot. It is the oldest square in Paris and it is also considered by many as the most beautiful.

Question 23

Arc de Triomphe (20)

How many Arc de Triomphes can be found in Paris?

A	1
B	2
C	3
D	4

Question 23 Explanation:

Indeed there are two Triumphal Arcs in Paris. Without any doubt the the most famous is the “Triumphal Arc of Stars” (“L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile” in French) with the tomb of an unknown soldier. The other one is called Triumphal Arc of Carrousel (L’Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in French) built to commemorate Napoleon’s military victories.

Question 24

Paris Hilton (21)

Which of these films about Paris stars hotel heiress Paris Hilton?

A	Paris, I Love You
B	Last Tango in Paris
C	One night in Paris
D	An American in Paris

Question 24 Explanation:

Though the film was about Paris, that doesn't refer to the city. Hilton shot to notoriety thanks to publication of this homemade pornographic video. The rest is infamy.

Question 25