Below is the full Quizmo quiz devoted to the theme "Castles": each question, its four options, the correct answer highlighted and, where available, its source. A chance to brush up on your general knowledge and then test what you know.
▶ Play today's quizWhat is the name of the bridge that could be raised to block an enemy crossing a moat?
Source: Raising the drawbridge turned the entrance into a sheer wall — the chains were often hidden inside the gatehouse.
What is the name of the deep, water-filled ditch dug around a castle for defence?
Source: A moat made tunnelling and ladder-climbing nearly impossible — many were actually dry, not filled with water.
The famous Renaissance châteaux of the Loire Valley are found in which country?
Source: The Loire Valley holds hundreds of châteaux — a UNESCO-listed stretch nicknamed the 'Garden of France'.
Which castle sits dramatically atop an extinct volcano above Scotland's capital?
Source: Edinburgh Castle perches on Castle Rock, the plug of a volcano that died around 350 million years ago.
Which royal residence is the largest occupied castle in the world?
Source: Windsor Castle has been a royal home for over 900 years — longer than any other castle on Earth.
In chess, the piece that looks like a small castle tower is officially named what?
Source: It's a rook, not a castle — the name comes from a Persian word, though 'castling' keeps the confusion alive.
Which German castle famously inspired Disney's fairy-tale castle look?
Source: Neuschwanstein was built by 'Mad King' Ludwig II and later inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle and logo.
What is the name for the strong central tower that formed a castle's last line of defence?
Source: The keep was the safest stronghold — the French word for it, 'donjon', is where our word 'dungeon' comes from.
What is the name for the notched wall-top with alternating gaps and raised blocks?
Source: The gaps let defenders shoot, the raised blocks gave cover — that toothy outline is the classic castle silhouette.
What is the heavy iron grille called that slides down vertically to seal a castle's gateway?
Source: The portcullis dropped fast in seconds — its criss-cross design let defenders still shoot through the gaps.
Romania's Bran Castle is popularly marketed as the home of which fictional character?
Source: Bran Castle trades on Dracula fame, though Bram Stoker never visited Romania and based the count only loosely on it.
In Game of Thrones, which castle is the ancestral seat of House Stark?
Source: Winterfell is heated by hot springs running beneath its walls — a clever bit of warmth in the frozen North.
In a 'motte-and-bailey' castle, what exactly was the motte?
Source: The motte was a man-made hill topped by a tower — the Normans threw up hundreds of them after 1066.
The Tower of London was originally built as a fortress by which ruler?
Source: William the Conqueror raised the White Tower around 1078 to overawe — and intimidate — newly conquered London.
Which fortified French island, crowned by an abbey, is cut off by the tide twice a day?
Source: Mont-Saint-Michel becomes an island at high tide — the surrounding sands once swallowed unwary pilgrims.
The Alhambra, a famed Moorish fortress-palace, overlooks which Spanish city?
Source: The Alhambra in Granada was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, surrendered to the Catholic Monarchs in 1492.
What is the name of the walled courtyard enclosed within a castle's outer defences?
Source: The bailey held stables, workshops and homes — a busy village protected inside the castle walls.
Japan's gleaming white Himeji Castle is nicknamed after which elegant bird?
Source: Himeji is the 'White Heron Castle', its pale plastered walls said to resemble a heron taking flight.
The 'concentric' castle, with rings of walls inside walls, spread in Europe largely after which events?
Source: Crusaders copied the layered fortifications they faced in the Holy Land, bringing concentric design back west.
What is the name for the floor openings in a projecting wall gallery used to drop objects on attackers?
Source: Machicolations let defenders drop stones and debris straight down — the 'boiling oil' version is mostly a myth.