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# What is the capital city in Europe with the longest name?

By Sofia Perez

Have you ever wondered what European capital cities have the longest names? If so, let’s hop on a journey to discover just that and, perhaps, some facts you have never considered.

## 1) Andorra La Vella – 16 characters

Andorra La Vella belongs to one of the seven parishes of the Principality of Andorra and is home to the tiniest parliament in Europe: 42 members maximum and 28 minimum.

It is one of the oldest countries in the world; it was founded in 1278 and has never taken part in a war.

With an average altitude of 1,050 meters, this city is also the highest-altitude capital on the continent. Here, and all over the country too, Catalan is the official language. It is the only country in the world where Catalan is the official language, but its citizens often speak other languages like French and Spanish.

Over half of the residents are immigrants. Many digital nomads, including YouTubers, move there to decrease their tax burden since the top income tax is 10%.

The official currency is the euro.

The city has an oceanic climate. In other words, summer days are warm and nights are cool, whereas winters are cold and snowy.

Given its geographical position, Catalonia and France have influenced its cuisine. A unique dish is cargols, consisting of snails with olive oil, aioli, and salt.

## 2) Vatican City – 12 characters

The Vatican City is the home to the Pope and the most important place on Earth for the Roman Catholic Church. Despite its rich architecture and influence on Christianity, the country became a sovereign state in 1929.

It is the tiniest country in the world in terms of area (0.44 square km) and population (around 800 residents). However, it has the highest crime rate because of pickpocketers and plain thieves going after innocent tourists.

It is the only country where Latin is the official language, and there is even an ATM with instructions in this language.

The form of government is an absolute elective theocratic monarchy.

The Vatican is the only World Heritage country. Interestingly, it has the shortest railway and the highest per capita wine intake.

## 3) Bratislava – 10 characters

The capital of Slovakia has a rich story as multiple civilizations, and world powers have settled here (Celts and Romans, as well as Nazis and Communists).

The city borders both Austria and Hungary.

The Castle is the most popular site of interest, as it looks over the entire city and has experienced many architectural and aesthetic modifications. The castle’s Rennaisance, Gothic and Baroque traces are noticeable.Other beautiful monuments are Saint Elizabeth’s Church and Saint Martin’s Cathedral.

The city is close to the two capital cities of their neighbouring states: Vienna and Budapest.

The local food uses pork, rice and cheese as its main ingredients, and some of the most famous dishes are sheep’s cheese gnocchi and potato dumplings. Another compelling and novel food is the sweet poppyseed pasta, a fusion of Italian pasta and traditional Slovak ingredients.

## 3) Copenhagen – 10 characters

This capital is Scandinavia’s largest city with a population of almost 1.4 million people. Vikings would settle here and embark on new trips back in the day.

Bishop Absalom was the founder of this beautiful city in 1167. He left his mark not only by promoting Christianity, the most popular religion in the country but also by building a bastion and the Christiansborg Castle that faces the Danish Parliament.

The city has gone through many ups and downs, being neutral in WWI and occupied in WWII, today it is one of the most prosperous cities in Europe.

It is popular for its canals, fantastic food and beer breweries as well as some places of interest such as the Tivoli Gardens and Nyhavn. On top of that, Copenhagen is considered one of the happiest cities on Earth.

## 3) Luxembourg – 10 characters

A melting pot of cultures, the City of Luxembourg belongs to the country of the same name.

It is one of the wealthiest cities in the world, and one of the leading business and financial centers, although its population is barely over 100,000 residents, making up around 25 % of the country’s population.

Most of the city’s workforce is reported live in one of the neighbouring countries. With a minimum wage of €1,923, it also has the highest cost of living in the European Union.

Many foreigners live here, but the official languages are French, German and Luxembourgish. Despite this, English is widely used too.

Belair is one of its neighbors.

The city is also known for having the restaurant Chiggeri, with the world’s most extensive wine offer.

## 3) San Marino – 10 characters

Like Vatican City, Italy surrounds this tiny state, and Catholicism is the most widespread religion. However, the official language of San Marino is Italian.

Surprisingly, the most populated city in the country is Serravalle (over 10,000 residents), whereas San Marino City has less than 5,000.

Both the city and country are named after Saint Marinus, a stonemason born on an island called Rab, located in today’s Croatia. He founded the country in 310 AD, making it the most ancient state.

Like other microstates like Andorra, Monaco or Vatican City, the official currency is the euro, even though San Marino is not an EU member. Despite that similarity, the cost of living is not that astronomical. In fact, it is the 15th richest region in the world, but a one-bedroom downtown rental could be less than €600.

Its gastronomy is mostly Italian-inspired, and pasta is, of course, a staple in the diet of the Sammarinese. One of the traditional dishes is pasatelli, a type of pasta made of breadcrumbs, eggs, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese.

## Bonus city: Nur-sultan – 10 characters

Although Nur-sultan is technically located in Asia, it’s country Kazakhstan is considered to be European, so we will include this city in our list.

Previously called Astana, Nur-sultan was founded in 1998 and belongs to the transcontinental country of Kazakhstan.

It is partly located in Eastern Europe and mainly in Central Asia.

This capital city has a lot to offer, despite not being that popular. Nur-sultan is one of the coldest capital cities on Earth, but the country is making huge efforts to warmly welcome nomads from Eastern Europe and Turks from the Far East.

The most surprising feature is its beautiful colourful architecture. Since Kazakhstan is a Muslim majority country, Nur-sultan’s Mosques are also great places to visit.

The city’s gastronomy has meat as a staple because the country’s weather is challenging, and the food must keep them warm and energized enough. For instance, two of its most popular dishes, Palau and Kuirdak, contain lamb or beef. Horse meat is also traditional.

## European capitals with the shortest names

So far, we have discussed the capital cities with the longest names. But what about the capitals with the shortest names? Let’s take a look at them.

## Kyiv – 4 characters

The capital of Ukraine prides itself on having a rich history and several cultural landmarks.

Around 1,500 years ago, this city became the capital of Kyivan Rus, a power in Eastern Ukraine.

In 988 Prince Vladimir converted Rus to Christianity, making it one of the most famous Christian cities on Earth. Its religious architecture is fantastic, and St. Andrew’s Church is an excellent instance.

Aside from that, Kyiv is also known for its parks, museums and vibrant commercial streets. The Chornobyl Museum will take you back to the tragic days of the Ukrainian people, and the bohemian Andriyivsky Descent where you can find art galleries, cafés and street artists.

Although Ukraine has belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia and has been a Soviet Republic, the city of Kyiv has not lost its charm and, still to this day, it effortlessly showcases the various traces of its history.

The traditional dishes are diverse and full of flavor. For example, Borsch requires many ingredients such as meat, beetroot and garlic. In the past, it had 30 ingredients!

## Oslo – 4 characters

According to The Wall Street Journal, the capital of Norway is the new capital of Nordic cool.

Like other Scandinavian cities, the Vikings founded Oslo. However, its previous names are Christiania or Kristiania and it has not always been the capital until 1905.

Before that year, the country was not independent, and it belonged to Denmark and Sweden. Today the city enjoys much prosperity, an excellent cultural offer and a combination of urban and natural landscapes.

Oslo is famous for its resident’s bike usage, and it takes very little time to get to the countryside. Many hotels offer bike rentals too.

The art scene is also spectacular thanks to museums like Astrup Fearnley and the MUNCH.

The gastronomical offer is stunning too. Its most popular food is smoked salmon, of course, but locals also consume other dishes Smalahove (sheep head) and brunost (a cheese-made product).

## Riga – 4 characters

The capital of Latvia has a bit of turbulent history. Vikings, Germans, Russians and Polish attacked the city. Especially, Germany controlled the country until 1918, when Estonia and Lithuania gained their independence too.

Apart from being under Communist rule in the last century, in the 11th century, it was a German trade centre, given its strategic position.

Firstly their citizens were converted to Roman Catholicism, but in the 16th century, Protestantism became more prominent.

One-third of Latvia’s residents live in Riga.

The city offers a vibrant nightlife, exquisite local food and even a UNESCO World Heritage downtown filled with history and medieval churches. Some places of interest are the House of Blackheads and the Museum of Occupations.

Examples of traditional dishes are rasol, a potato salad with layers of meat or fish, and grey peas, which are believed to bring good luck. It is also believed that Latvians eat around 50 kg of rye bread a year.

## Rome – 4 characters

Rome is a city filled with history. It is next to Vatican City, home to the Colosseum and many Western Civilization treasures.

This city started small but it became the center of the ancient Roman Empire, dominating much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Rome was indeed a place for emperors. Today it is a famous destination offering mouth-watering gastronomy, stunning monuments, and tons of cultural activities. Some of its sites of interest are the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Trastevere.

There is a little superstition around the Trevi Fountain: if you toss a coin there, you will come back to Rome; if you throw two, you will fall in love with an attractive Italian; if you throw three, you will marry that person.

In terms of food, no detailed explanation is needed. For example, you will be able to enjoy pasta, pizza, focaccia and carpaccio.

That is it for today’s article. Have you learned something new or even fun about these cities? Did you not know about any of these? I hope you found this information compelling and inspiring for a potential journey too.

### Complete list of European capitals, from longest names to shortest names

Andorra La Vella – 16 characters

Vatican City – 12 characters

Bratislava – 10 characters

Copenhagen – 10 characters

Luxembourg – 10 characters

San Marino – 10 characters

Amsterdam – 9 characters

Bucharest – 9 characters

Ljubljana – 9 characters

Podgorica – 9 characters

Reykjavik – 9 characters

Reykjavik – 9 characters

Stockholm – 9 characters

Belgrade – 8 characters

Brussels – 8 characters

Budapest – 8 characters

Chisinau – 8 characters

Helsinki – 8 characters

Sarajevo – 8 characters

Valletta – 8 characters

Tallinn – 7 characters

Vilnius – 7 characters

Athens – 6 characters

Berlin – 6 characters

Dublin – 6 characters

Lisbon – 6 characters

London – 6 characters

Madrid – 6 characters

Monaco – 6 characters

Moscow – 6 characters

Prague – 6 characters

Skopje – 6 characters

Tirana – 6 characters

Vienna – 6 characters

Warsaw – 6 characters

Zagreb – 6 characters

Berne – 5 characters

Minsk – 5 characters

Paris – 5 characters

Sofia – 5 characters

Vaduz – 5 characters

Kyiv – 4 characters

Oslo – 4 characters

Riga – 4 characters

Rome – 4 characters