From one kind of beauty to another we leave Germany and head into Austria through the foothills of the beautiful mountains of Tyrol to our base for 2 nights near the historic town of Zell am See. Here we have a day off with a choice of a ride out to the famous Grossglockner high alpine road, the highest surfaced mountain pass in Austria or a day trip to the Eagle’s nest- Hitler’s summer retreat in Berchtesgaden. We then leave Zell am See continuing west to the awe inspiring Swiss Alps.

The Swiss Alps are one of the world’s most famous biker havens and its not difficult to see why with endless hairpins and breathtaking beauty they bring bikers back here year on year and on this tour we ride five of the greatest mountain passes in Switzerland. Take on the St Gotthard pass with its famous cobbled hairpins, get in touch with your inner 007 on the Furka pass immortalised by the car chase in Goldfinger then ride the giddy heights of the Grimsel pass at an elevation of 7,100 feet and the Nufenen at 8,130 feet.

Glacier waters of the Tyrolean Alps

The B500 in the German Black Forest: All the roads in the Black forest are steep and twisty and the B500 is no exception. A road that consistently features in the top ten biking roads in the world, its many twists are curves along the forest ridge are exhilarating.

Grossglockner High alpine road and glaciers: At 2,500 km above sea level the Grossglockner boasts 36 unforgettable elegant hairpins sure to delight any rider!

The Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden: The Kehlsteinhaus is a remnant from third-reich era Germany, Hitler’s alpine summer retreat. It’s a fascinating destination for any history buffs amongst the group, as it was the location of many Nazi government meetings and on at least 12 occasions a holiday spot for Hitler.

Grimsel pass: This traffic free pass boasts landscape that is almost lunar, with granite rock formations, huge reservoirs and barren mountains.

Route des Crêtes in the Vosges Mountains: A real jewel in the Vosges mountains the Route des Cretes has twisties and sweeping bends to really  get your blood pumping!

Douaumont Ossuary WW1 war memorial at Verdun: The battle of Verdun claimed the lives of 300,000 soldiers, and the Bishop of the area wished to give them a ‘decent burial’. The Douaumont Ossuary houses a Necropolis which shelters the bodies of 16,142 known French soldiers, and the Ossuary which houses the bones of roughly 130,000 unknown French and German soldiers.