Traismauer is a small town of under three thousand people on the Traisen river, a few kilometres from the Danube, and underneath its streets lies a Roman fortress. In Roman times, it was called Augustianis, a cavalry fort on the frontier of the Empire, one of a chain of military posts that ran along the south bank of the Danube. The line of forts, towers and roads was the Danube Limes, and in 2021 UNESCO added its western section to the World Heritage List, with sites in Austria, Germany and Slovakia.
The central area of the fort lies under the old town, and you notice the Roman layout in the street plan, with the main streets running at right angles, and in the old walls that still stand in places. A museum in the area tells the story of the garrison, the soldiers who came from across the Empire, and the settlement that grew up outside the walls. The Roman fort was occupied until the fifth century, and the town carried on from there, through the Middle Ages and into the modern era.
The surrounding landscape is gentle: wide fields of wheat and maize, vineyards on the low hills, the green line of the Danube floodplain to the north. The Traisental is a wine-growing area, and the white Gruner Veltliner from here is worth a glass if you are not riding on. The river valley is also popular with cyclists, and you can share the quiet roads with them.
Riding here is relaxed. The roads are good, with light traffic, and a mixture of long straights and easy bends. The Danube cycle path runs nearby, and the Wachau valley, famous for its terraced vineyards and ruined castles, is a short ride upstream. Fuel and food are available in the town, with a supermarket, bakeries and inns, and the larger town of St. Polten is a short ride south. Spring and autumn are the pleasant seasons, though harvest time can bring tractors on the lanes.