Amsterdam trivia questions

20 questions about Amsterdam

1. 1. Which building on Dam Square in Amsterdam was originally built as the city hall in the 17th century?

   1. The Nieuwe Kerk
   2. The Royal Palace
   3. The Beurs van Berlage
   4. The Rijksmuseum
   Show answer

   B. The Royal Palace

   Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace,_Amsterdam

2. 2. In which year does the oldest surviving document that mentions Amsterdam date from?

   1. 1105
   2. 1275
   3. 1323
   4. 1452
   Show answer

   B. 1275

   Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Amsterdam

3. 3. Which city was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company, founded in 1602?

   1. Delft
   2. Amsterdam
   3. Middelburg
   4. Rotterdam
   Show answer

   B. Amsterdam

   Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company

4. 4. Which river does the city of Amsterdam take its name from?

   1. The Rhine
   2. The Amstel
   3. The IJ
   4. The Vecht
   Show answer

   B. The Amstel

   Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstel

5. 5. Which part of Amsterdam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

   1. The Jordaan district
   2. Vondelpark
   3. The 17th-century canal ring inside the Singelgracht
   4. The Rijksmuseum
   Show answer

   C. The 17th-century canal ring inside the Singelgracht

   Source: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1349/

6. 6. In which Amsterdam district is the Albert Cuyp Market located?

   1. Oud-West
   2. De Pijp
   3. De Wallen
   4. IJburg
   Show answer

   B. De Pijp

   Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Cuyp_Market

7. 7. What holds the two thin wafers of a stroopwafel together?

   1. Almond paste
   2. Chocolate cream
   3. Whipped cream
   4. A syrup filling
   Show answer

   D. A syrup filling

   Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroopwafel

8. 8. Poffertjes, the small Dutch pancakes, are traditionally served with what?

   1. Powdered sugar and butter
   2. Cheese and mustard
   3. Salted herring and onion
   4. Peanut sauce and cucumber
   Show answer

   A. Powdered sugar and butter

   Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poffertjes

9. 9. Rembrandt's group portrait The Night Watch is the best-known painting in which Amsterdam museum?

   1. Van Gogh Museum
   2. Stedelijk Museum
   3. Rijksmuseum
   4. NEMO Science Museum
   Show answer

   C. Rijksmuseum

   Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum

10. 10. Which Amsterdam museum holds the world's largest collection of Vincent van Gogh's paintings and drawings?

    1. Van Gogh Museum
    2. Rijksmuseum
    3. Stedelijk Museum
    4. Museum Het Rembrandthuis
    Show answer

    A. Van Gogh Museum

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Gogh_Museum

11. 11. Which orchestra performs in the Royal Concertgebouw concert hall in Amsterdam?

    1. The Berlin Philharmonic
    2. The Vienna Philharmonic
    3. The London Symphony Orchestra
    4. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
    Show answer

    D. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concertgebouw,_Amsterdam

12. 12. In which year was the Amsterdam football club AFC Ajax founded?

    1. 1878
    2. 1895
    3. 1900
    4. 1912
    Show answer

    C. 1900

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFC_Ajax

13. 13. In which city were the 1928 Summer Olympics held?

    1. Amsterdam
    2. Antwerp
    3. Paris
    4. Berlin
    Show answer

    A. Amsterdam

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1928_Summer_Olympics

14. 14. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol lies roughly how far below sea level?

    1. At sea level
    2. About 3 metres below
    3. About 30 metres below
    4. About 300 metres below
    Show answer

    B. About 3 metres below

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schiphol_Airport

15. 15. How many Saint Andrew's Crosses are on the coat of arms of Amsterdam?

    1. One
    2. Two
    3. Three
    4. Five
    Show answer

    C. Three

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Amsterdam

16. 16. Which nickname is often given to Amsterdam because of its many canals?

    1. Athens of the North
    2. Paris of the North
    3. Venice of the North
    4. Florence of the North
    Show answer

    C. Venice of the North

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam

17. 17. Bitterballen, a classic Dutch bar snack, are usually served with which condiment?

    1. Ketchup
    2. Tartar sauce
    3. Sweet chilli sauce
    4. Mustard
    Show answer

    D. Mustard

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitterballen

18. 18. In Amsterdam, what is a 'gracht'?

    1. A canal
    2. A bicycle path
    3. A market square
    4. A tall narrow house
    Show answer

    A. A canal

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gracht

19. 19. Which fish is the basis of the raw Dutch street food eaten with chopped onions at Amsterdam snack stalls?

    1. Cod
    2. Salmon
    3. Herring
    4. Anchovy
    Show answer

    C. Herring

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herring_as_food

20. 20. What does Amsterdam's Bloemenmarkt, on the Singel canal, mainly sell?

    1. Antiques and books
    2. Flowers and bulbs
    3. Fresh fish
    4. Second-hand bicycles
    Show answer

    B. Flowers and bulbs

    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloemenmarkt

Using these questions

How do I use these Amsterdam trivia questions at a pub quiz?

Read each question and its four options aloud, give teams about 30 seconds to pick a letter, then open the answer below the question. Twenty questions fit comfortably into three or four rounds of an evening.

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