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Read more about the Bikers' trip to Austria.

Si and Dave with their remarkably clean bikes, next to a field in Austria.

CAPITAL: Vienna

LANGUAGE: German

POPULATION: 8.4 million

SIZE OF COUNTRY: 83,855 sq km / 32,377 sq miles

POSITIONING: Landlocked and bordered by the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

VIENNA AND THE CAFÉ CENTRAL

Vienna developed from a Celtic settlement into the imperial seat of the Austro Hungarian Empire, under the German Habsburg dynasty. Today its position at the centre of Europe means that even in the post imperial era it remains a vibrant, eclectic city.

Among other things Vienna is considered the capital of European cafe society. Its numerous coffee houses form an essential part of Viennese life. Café Central was once the meeting place of writers and thinkers - including Leon Trotsky and Sigmund Freud.

Its most controversial innovation is a new spin on Vienna's most famous chocolate cake, the Sachertorte. Head Chef, Pierre Reboul created the Sachertorte Re-loaded to 'start a conversation' about how Austria's sweet baking can be adapted for the modern palate.

OBERKIRCHBACH AND THE BONKA GUESTHOUSE

A forty five minute drive from Vienna brings you into the green hills of Oberkirchbach, and it's here – at the Bonka Guesthouse on Hauptstraße 61 - that you find a beautifully cooked classic of Austrian baking - apfelstrudel.

The Bonka family have been serving refreshments to travellers for generations. A perennial favourite is Oma (Grandma) Bonka's apple strudel. Made from a recipe of her mother-in-law’s, it’s a simple version of this traditional dish. Its secret - according to the Bonkas - lies in the variety of apples they use, grown in the family orchard. 

STYRIA AND THE OLMUHLE HERBERSDORF

Styria is an attractive, rural area of Austria in the country's south east. Known as the 'green heart of Austria' thanks to its forests and orchards, Styria is also home to the pumpkin, and to one of the country's best kept secrets: pumpkin seed oil.

Pumpkins have been cultivated in Styria for centuries, mainly for the fabulous oil derived from their seeds. Dark green, with a nutty aroma and intense flavour, this unique oil is a Styrian speciality.

The 'Olmuhle' (oil mill) at Herbersdorf, near the city of Graz, is run by the Becwar family. Gernot Becwar is only too happy to take visitors on a tour of the mill, where they can see the seeds being processed to obtain the 'black gold'. They can also buy the farm's own oil, to take home and try out in salads and marinades.

SECKAU AND CAFE KONDITOREI REGNER

North west of Herbersdorf lies the village of Seckau. It is a pretty place set in a quintessentially Austrian landscape of hills and meadows. On the high street is the Cafe Konditorei Regner, a family bakery since 1660. Although they produce all manner of cakes and pastries, the Regner family’s speciality is their gingerbread or 'lebkuchen'.

When he inherited the business from his father, Michael Regner decided to develop his own gingerbread recipe, seeking softer texture and a subtler flavour than many other gingerbreads. Today Michael has plenty of help in the family's huge new kitchen; both his daughters and his son are all trained artisan bakers.

However, it's Michael's son Gregor who has raised the bar, winning gold at the International Baking Competition in Canada. 

LINZ

Situated on the banks of the Danube, Linz has long been an important trading and economic centre and is Austria’s third largest city. Today it is a dynamic, modern city combining business expertise with an emphasis on the arts. It was European Capital of Culture in 2009 and is an important venue for theatre, music and contemporary art.

Its culinary claim to fame is the Linzertorte. Allegedly the oldest cake recipe in the world, the Linzertorte is a jam filled tart with a latticework top.

MONASTERY SEITENSTETTEN

Seitenstetten is a town about an hour south of Linz. The town is dominated by a beautiful Benedictine monastery, a huge edifice which takes care of the spiritual welfare of the surrounding parishes.

Benedictine monasticism was established in Italy in the 6th century by St Benedict of Nursia. The movement spread across Europe, and the Benedictines have been praying and working in the beautiful monastery in Seitenstetten for almost 900 years. Like many such monasteries across Austria, 'Stift Seitenstetten' contains rare religious treasures and an outstanding library. In keeping with the Benedictine tradition of education it also houses a school.

The monastery has a large kitchen, run by Monica Baurieder. Monica cooks a wide range of traditional Austrian fare, including a bread called ‘kipferl’, thought to be the precursor to the croissant. The story goes that following victories against the Turks, Viennese bakers created celebratory bread formed in the shape of a crescent – the Ottoman holy symbol.

When an Austrian soldier opened a bakery in Paris the French adopted it. They called it the croissant, and the original bread – the kipferl – was forgotten.

SALZBURG

Salzburg was founded on the wealth from salt mined from the neighbouring mountains. Its beautiful Baroque architecture and Alpine scenery have earned it the status of Unesco World Heritage Site. Today Salzburg derives much of its prosperity from tourism, which centres around its most famous son, Wolgang Amadeus Mozart, born here in 1756

ZELL AM SEE AND FRITZ SENDLHOFER

Zell Am See is an Alpine resort set on the shore of Lake Zeller in the region of Salzburg. Fritz Sendlhofer lives high above the lake. His father and grandfather were lumberjacks, mountain men who spent the summer months in the mountains felling trees. They used to build temporary huts called 'sodel'.

As a boy Fritz used to spend time with his father in the mountains, but chose not to follow in his father's footsteps when he grew up. Instead he became a plumber, working in Austria and Germany.

However, on retirement, Fritz built a sodel in his garden as a tribute to his forefathers and to the old ways of the Alps. Fritz wears lederhosen and has an impressive beard, giving him the appearance of a true alpine Austrian.

It is possible to book a visit via the local tourist office and to enjoy home cooked Pinzgauer Kasnocken (cheesy dumplings), home brewed beer, spectacular views and Fritz's unique hospitality. 

GROSSGLOCKNER HIGH ALPINE ROAD

At 3,798m the Grossglockner is not only the highest mountain in Austria, it also counts among the highest peaks in the Alps.

The idea of building a road through the Alps, passing close to the Grossglockner peak, was first mooted in 1924. Construction started in 1930, and the Grossglockner High Alpine Road opened in 1935. Rising to an incredible 2,504 metres, it soon acquired legendary status as one of the world's great drives. Over the decades its 48 kilometres and 36 bends have provided an exhilarating experience for millions of travellers, offering access to a truly elemental location.