Countries of Europe and their capitals
44 countries, counting the Holy See (Vatican City), a UN observer state, and Russia, which spans Europe and Asia. Türkiye, Cyprus and the Caucasus countries are on the Asia list.
Europe packs many countries into a small space, so its map is busy and its capitals are close together. Learning them makes history, news and travel stories easier to follow.
Chunk by region. A whole continent is too much to hold at once, so the list is learned a region at a time, in groups of about five. Use picture plus words: say each pair out loud while you point to the country on a map (the Geography Ladder has maps). The map works like a memory palace, so walk it in the same direction each time. Where a capital has a story or a meaning, picture it; the hooks give some to start with. Then close the book and recall, and come back on day 1, 3, 7 and 21.
Encode make it vivid → Space bring it back on day 1, 3, 7, 21 → Retrieve pull it from your head. From the infographic Remember It on Purpose.
Countries of Europe and their capitals
| Country | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Copenhagen | Northern Europe |
| Estonia | Tallinn | Northern Europe |
| Finland | Helsinki | Northern Europe |
| Iceland | Reykjavík | Northern Europe |
| Ireland | Dublin | Northern Europe |
| Latvia | Riga | Northern Europe |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | Northern Europe |
| Norway | Oslo | Northern Europe |
| Sweden | Stockholm | Northern Europe |
| United Kingdom | London | Northern Europe |
| Austria | Vienna | Western Europe |
| Belgium | Brussels | Western Europe |
| France | Paris | Western Europe |
| Germany | Berlin | Western Europe |
| Liechtenstein | Vaduz | Western Europe |
| Note: Liechtenstein is doubly landlocked: its neighbors are landlocked too. | ||
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Western Europe |
| Monaco | Monaco | Western Europe |
| Note: Monaco is a city-state. | ||
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | Western Europe |
| Note: Amsterdam is the capital named in the constitution; the government and parliament sit in The Hague. | ||
| Switzerland | Bern | Western Europe |
| Note: Switzerland's laws name no capital; Bern is the federal city, where the government and parliament sit. | ||
| Albania | Tirana | Southern Europe |
| Andorra | Andorra la Vella | Southern Europe |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | Southern Europe |
| Croatia | Zagreb | Southern Europe |
| Greece | Athens | Southern Europe |
| Holy See | Vatican City | Southern Europe |
| Note: The Holy See is a UN observer state; its territory is Vatican City, a city-state inside Rome. | ||
| Italy | Rome | Southern Europe |
| Malta | Valletta | Southern Europe |
| Montenegro | Podgorica | Southern Europe |
| Note: Cetinje, the old royal capital, is called the "Old Royal Capital" in the constitution. | ||
| North Macedonia | Skopje | Southern Europe |
| Portugal | Lisbon | Southern Europe |
| San Marino | San Marino | Southern Europe |
| Serbia | Belgrade | Southern Europe |
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | Southern Europe |
| Spain | Madrid | Southern Europe |
| Belarus | Minsk | Eastern Europe |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | Eastern Europe |
| Czechia | Prague | Eastern Europe |
| Hungary | Budapest | Eastern Europe |
| Moldova | Chișinău | Eastern Europe |
| Poland | Warsaw | Eastern Europe |
| Romania | Bucharest | Eastern Europe |
| Russia | Moscow | Eastern Europe |
| Note: Russia spans Europe and Asia; most of its people live in the European part, west of the Ural Mountains. | ||
| Slovakia | Bratislava | Eastern Europe |
| Ukraine | Kyiv | Eastern Europe |
Chunk by region. A whole continent is too much to hold at once, so the list is learned a region at a time, in groups of about five. Use picture plus words: say each pair out loud while you point to the country on a map (the Geography Ladder has maps). The map works like a memory palace, so walk it in the same direction each time. Where a capital has a story or a meaning, picture it; the hooks give some to start with. Then close the book and recall, and come back on day 1, 3, 7 and 21. · teddyrookbook.com/memory/challenges/countries-europe/
Sources
- United Nations: Member States (193)
- Grokipedia: Lists of capitals (current national capitals)
- United Nations Statistics Division: M49 regions (the region names)
- Teddy Rook Book Geography Ladder: the countries model (maps and notes)
Checked October 31, 2026. Progress is kept on this device only (per learner). More lists: all memory challenges · memory games.