Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

Marseille, France's oldest city

Marseille sits on the Mediterranean coast in the south of France and is generally considered the country's oldest city, founded by Greek settlers from Phocaea around 600 BC. Unlike Paris, it grew up around a sheltered natural harbour, which shaped it into a trading port for millennia. Milan and Verona, by contrast, lie far inland in northern Italy, so the coastline question has only one possible answer.

The frozen dessert that travelled the world

The idea of freezing sweetened milk or cream with ice and salt is old, and China is often credited with early versions of such desserts, long before they reached Europe through trade and travel. What we now call ice cream took shape gradually, with Italian and French confectioners refining recipes in the 16th and 17th centuries. So the treat is less a single invention than a slow international collaboration.

Landlocked in the heart of Europe

Czechia has no coastline at all, bordered by Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria. That position once placed it at the centre of overland trade routes between east and west, which helped cities like Prague prosper. Spain and Belgium, by contrast, both have extensive coastlines, so the landlocked answer stands out clearly.

Dionysus and the Greek idea of celebration

Dionysus was the Greek god of wine, festivity and theatre, and his worship involved festivals that are often linked to the origins of Greek drama. He was also associated with ecstasy and transformation, a far cry from the calm authority of Poseidon or the agricultural focus of Demeter. His Roman counterpart, Bacchus, carried many of the same associations.

A landmark musical and a Chicago hub

Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the music for The Phantom of the Opera, which opened in London in 1986 and became one of the longest-running shows in West End history. Separately, O'Hare International Airport is one of the busiest in the world and a major hub for Chicago, while Kennedy serves New York and Roosevelt is a small regional field.