Traismauer is a small town with a very long memory. Before it was a market town on the Traisen river, it was the Roman fort of Augustianis, one of the posts on the Noricum stretch of the Danube frontier, and some of the Roman wall still stands in the town. The Kleinkastell, the small fort, is part of that chain: a compact stone enclosure, a few watchtowers and a garrison, one of the many modest strongpoints that made the limes more than a line on a map.
The town has about 2,750 people, sits where the Traisen leaves the hills, and still has the shape of a place that was fortified for a reason. Look for the Roman Tower and the Römertor, the old gate, which are among the best-preserved Roman remains in Lower Austria. The medieval town and its castle add further layers to a short walk. The real fun is spotting where Roman stone has been reused in later walls, a habit of every century that came after.
The surrounding country is easy for motorbikes. The flat Tullner Feld lies to the east, the Danube floodplain is close to the north, and roads run through orchards and fields with the odd line of poplars. Tracks lead towards the Danube floodplain and the long dykes where you can pick up cycling traffic. It is not a technical ride, more a pleasant rolling day, best in late spring when the blossom is out or in early autumn when the Heuriger wine taverns around Krems and the Wagram open their gates. Look for the green branch hung over a door, the old sign that a winegrower is serving his own wine.
Fuel and food are simple. Traismauer itself has the basics, and Krems an der Donau, with about 14,000 people some 12 km away, has bigger stations, supermarkets and the famous Wachau gateway. St. Pölten, the provincial capital, is a short run to the south. If you are on the Roman frontier circuit, take a few minutes at the tower, imagine the Danube patrol boats that once moved along the river, and then go and find a cold drink. The summer heat in this flat basin can be stronger than in the hills, so carry water.