Europe Capitals
| Country | Capital | Population (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Tirana | 895,000 |
| Andorra | Andorra la Vella | 22,000 |
| Austria | Vienna | 1,898,000 |
| Belarus | Minsk | 1,919,000 |
| Belgium | Brussels | 1,208,000 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | 275,524 |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | 1,260,000 |
| Croatia | Zagreb | 804,000 |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | 330,000 |
| Czech Republic | Prague | 1,324,000 |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | 1,330,000 |
| Estonia | Tallinn | 437,000 |
| Finland | Helsinki | 648,000 |
| France | Paris | 10,979,000 |
| Germany | Berlin | 3,769,000 |
| Greece | Athens | 3,153,000 |
| Hungary | Budapest | 1,752,000 |
| Iceland | Reykjavik | 131,136 |
| Ireland | Dublin | 1,904,806 |
| Italy | Rome | 2,870,000 |
| Kosovo | Pristina | 205,133 |
| Latvia | Riga | 617,000 |
| Liechtenstein | Vaduz | 5,494 |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | 581,000 |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | 125,000 |
| Malta | Valletta | 6,444 |
| Moldova | Chisinau | 674,500 |
| Monaco | Monaco | 39,000 |
| Montenegro | Podgorica | 204,877 |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | 1,166,000 |
| North Macedonia | Skopje | 544,086 |
| Norway | Oslo | 693,000 |
| Poland | Warsaw | 1,790,000 |
| Portugal | Lisbon | 505,526 |
| Romania | Bucharest | 1,830,000 |
| Russia | Moscow | 12,537,000 |
| San Marino | San Marino | 4,044 |
| Serbia | Belgrade | 1,166,000 |
| Slovakia | Bratislava | 437,725 |
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | 295,504 |
| Spain | Madrid | 6,642,000 |
| Sweden | Stockholm | 975,904 |
| Switzerland | Bern | 133,883 |
| Ukraine | Kyiv (Kiev) | 2,847,200 |
| United Kingdom | London | 9,304,000 |
| Vatican City | Vatican City | 800 |
Belgium: Brussels
The capital of Belgium is called Brussels. This is also where the European Union is based. Brussels is also the seat of NATO, the Western European Union and EUROCONTROL. Sometimes they say that Brussels is the capital of Europe.
Other large cities in Belgium are Ghent, Liège and Bruges. Antwerp is located in the north of Belgium, a large port city that is important for the Belgian economy. Here is the center of the global diamond trade. Although Belgium is a small country, it is an important economic center in Europe.
Germany: Berlin
The capital of Germany is Berlin. 3.5 million people live here. Berlin is located in eastern Germany and is a city-state. The rivers Spree and Havel flow through the city.
During the division of Germany, the eastern part of the city was the capital of the GDR, while the city of Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia became the capital of the Federal Republic. Berlin had been divided by a wall since 1961. With the reunification in 1990, Berlin became the capital of united Germany again.
Berlin is considered a cosmopolitan city. It is a cultural, economic and political center. It is considered a city of great importance worldwide.
Many tourists visit Berlin. Twelve million people come to the city every year. You drive to the television tower on Alexanderplatz, visit the zoo, look at the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate. Other attractions are Charlottenburg Palace, Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral, the Memorial Church on Ku’damm and Pfaueninsel. Below are photos of some of these attractions. In addition to many museums, Berlin also has numerous theaters.
France: Paris
The largest city in France and also the capital is Paris.
United Kingdom: London
London is the capital of Great Britain. It is located in the south east of Great Britain. 8.9 million people live in London. London is considered a cosmopolitan city and is visited by many tourists. It is the most visited city in Europe. 14 to 17 million tourists come every year.
The most famous sights are Tower Bridge, the Tower, the London Eye, the Madame Tussauds wax museum, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Hyde Park are also popular. The Globe Theater is a replica of the theater that once performed Shalespeare’s works – and now again.
The prime meridian (the zero degree of longitude, so to speak) runs through the Greenwich district. In Greenwich you can also visit the sailing ship Cutty Sark and find out more about seafaring and its history in the Maritime Museum.
The Shard skyscraper is a new attraction. Children love the Hamleys toy store. The famous red double-decker buses also operate in London. There are many museums and theaters. The Thames flows through London.
- Population: 8.9 million
- Population density: 5.6 people per km²
- Area: 1572 km²
- Location: 51 ° 31 ′ N, 0 ° 7 ′ W
- Telephone code: 020
- Tallest building: The Shard (310 m)
Italy: Rome
The capital of Italy is Rome. Her name in Italian is Roma. Rome is close to the Tyrrhenian Sea in central Italy. The Tiber flows through the city. About 2.9 million people live here. Rome is also the largest city in the country.
There are many old buildings from the time of the Roman Empire in Rome. The Colosseum is particularly well known. The smallest state in the world is located within the city, namely Vatican City with St. Peter’s Basilica. Many tourists come to Rome every year. They also enjoy looking at the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, Castel Sant’Angelo or the Circus Maximus. You are sitting on the Spanish Steps, the Piazza Navona or in the pretty Trastevere district.
They throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, because that means they will come back to Rome. Incidentally, it is the largest fountain in Rome. It is 26 meters high and 50 meters wide! It was built in the 18th century.
Netherlands: Amsterdam
The capital of the Netherlands is the city of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is located in the Dutch province of North Holland and is connected to the North Sea via the Noordzeekanal. However, the city is not the government headquarters of the Netherlands, this is in The Hague.
On the other hand, Amsterdam is the most populous city in the Netherlands with around 838,000 inhabitants. The city is considered a European metropolis, although it is a relatively small city. The city is known for its numerous cafes, museums and attractions. It is also considered a bicycle city, because almost everyone here seems to be on a two-wheeler.
Austria: Vienna
Vienna is the capital of Austria. It is in the east of the country. About 1.8 million people live here. If you include the region around Vienna, 2.6 million people live here, around a quarter of the entire population of Austria.
The name Vienna is derived from the river of the same name. In other languages, Vienna is for example Vienna (in English and Italian) or Viena (in Spanish).
Vienna has many sights and is visited by around five million tourists from abroad every year. Take a look at Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofburg, Belvedere Palace, the Hundertwasser House or St. Stephen’s Cathedral, for example. You can ride the Ferris wheel in the Prater, marvel at polar bears in the Schönbrunn Zoo and meet sea turtles in the Haus des Meeres. There are also a lot of museums in Vienna, for example the Albertina, an art museum. But maybe you would rather go to the Hotel Sacher and eat a piece of Sachertorte there!
Poland: Warsaw
The capital of Poland is Warsaw. In Polish it is called Warszawa. That is what they say: Warsaw. It is not known exactly where the name comes from. Maybe it means “village of Warsz”. The place was first mentioned in 1241.
Warsaw is inland on the Vistula. Warsaw is about 350 kilometers away from the Baltic Sea in the north and the Carpathian Mountains in the south. 1.7 million people live in the city.
The old town is part of the world cultural heritage of mankind. After the Second World War there were only ruins here. There were only six houses left! After the Warsaw Uprising was put down in 1944, German troops destroyed a large number of buildings. The old town was then completely rebuilt after the war.
Sights today include the Schlossplatz with the castle and Sigismund’s Column, the Old Town Market, the Warsaw Uprising Museum and the monument to the kneeling of Willy Brandt. The Royal Route connects the former residences and is definitely worth a walk!
Portugal: Lisbon
The capital of Portugal is Lisbon. It’s called Lisboa in Portuguese. Lisbon lies at the mouth of the Tagus River in the Atlantic Ocean. With around 560,000 inhabitants, it is the largest city in the country. However, the number of inhabitants has decreased significantly compared to previous years. Many people have moved into the surrounding area. More than three million people live in the entire region.
Lisbon has been devastated by earthquakes and fires several times in its history. The earthquake of 1755 devastated large parts of the city and killed tens of thousands.
The old town was rebuilt after the earthquake. Its architecture bears witness to the 18th century. It’s called Baixa in Portuguese. Tiled facades and narrow streets are their trademark. The most famous landmark of the city is the Tower of Belém ( Torre de Belém ). The tower was built in the Manueline style – named after King Manuel I. There is a viewing platform at the top. The Jeronimos Monastery ( Mosteiro dos Jerónimos ) was built in the same style. If you ever come to Lisbon, you should definitely take the historic tram, Tram 28!
Romania: Bucharest
The capital of Romania is Bucharest. In Romanian it is called Bucureşti. According to legend, the shepherd Bucur founded the city. The name Bucureşti means “you are happy”.
Bucharest is located in the south of the country in the Wallachia region. 1.9 million people live in Bucharest. The Dâmbovița River flows through the city. Models for many buildings were found in Paris, which is why the city is sometimes called “Little Paris”.
The Parliament Palace is particularly impressive. With its 1,100 rooms, it is one of the largest buildings in the world if you look at the area on which it stands. It comes from the time of communism. Today the Romanian Parliament meets in it.
Switzerland: Zurich
When you hear the names of the cities of Bern and Zurich, many people are easily led onto the ice because they consider Zurich the capital of the country. In fact, there is no official capital at all, just one seat of government, and that is Bern.
Bern is very centrally located in the west of the country and, with around 140,000 inhabitants, is one of the largest cities in Switzerland. But Bern is also one of the most expensive cities in the world. The main attractions of the capital include the old town, which is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its many fountains. Everything in Bern is within walking distance, as the old town was built on a peninsula.
Zurich is not the capital of Switzerland, but it is the largest city with around 400,000 inhabitants. If you include the surrounding region, over a million people live here. Zurich lies on Lake Zurich and the Limmat River.
Most of the people in Switzerland live in the flat Swiss Plateau, and not so many people are drawn to the Alps with their high mountains.
Spain: Madrid
Madrid is the capital of spain. It’s pretty much in the middle of the country. 3.2 million people live here. This also includes the Spanish King Felipe. He lives with his family in the Palacio Real, the royal palace. In the Prado Museum you can see paintings by the most famous Spanish painters. A famous square is the Plaza Mayor.
7 million people live in the entire region of Madrid. With its location in the middle of the country, Madrid is the geographic center of the country. But the city has also been the center of attention politically and culturally for centuries. Historically, Madrid is in the area of Castile (see history ). In summer it is quite hot and dry here, in winter it is colder than, for example, in the Mediterranean. And what is the climate like in the rest of Spain?
Czech Republic: Prague
The capital of the Czech Republic is Prague. In Czech it is called Praha. Prague is located in the western part of the country on the Vltava River. With 1.2 million inhabitants, it is the largest city in the Czech Republic. The most famous sights are Prague Castle and Charles Bridge.
Prague is also called the Golden City because its sandstone mountains shine in the sun. Another name is “City of a Hundred Towers” – there are many more towers that shape the cityscape.
Ukraine: Kiev
Kiev is the capital of Ukraine. It is located on the Dnieper River. 2.8 million people live here. Kiev was the capital of the Kievan Rus in the Middle Ages. It was founded in the 9th century at the latest. Today it is the economic, political and cultural center of Ukraine.
Hungary: Budapest
The capital of Hungary is Budapest. 1.7 million people live here. The city is in the north, roughly in the middle of the country. The Danube flows through Budapest. Nine bridges cross the Danube in the city. One of them is Budapest’s landmark, the Chain Bridge. Chains carry this type of suspension bridge, hence the name. The name of the city is made up of the two original places Pest and Buda.
Vatican: Vatican City
The Capital of Vatican is Vatican City.