Did you know that the 225 residents of Bivio, canton of Graubünden, speak seven languages and dialects?

In the village of Bivio, canton of Graubünden, three languages have been spoken since the Middle Ages. In addition to the official language, Italian, most residents speak German and Romansch. Since the spoken German – just as the Italian – breaks up into several local varieties (i.e. standard German, “Bündnerdeutsch” and Zurich German) linguists have counted up to seven dialects.

The Semmeringbahn was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. Designed by Karl Ritter von Ghega and opened in 1854, the Semmeringbahn cuts through mountains and passes over gorges and can truly be called a marvel of aesthetics and engineering. Part of the Südbahn railway that runs from Gloggnitz via Semmering Pass to Mürzzuschlag, the Semmeringbahn is 4km long and encompasses a drop of 459m along its course. Trains passing over the line chug through a series of tunnels and graceful stone viaducts. The Semmeringbahn was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1998.

At 3,798m, the Grossglockner is Austria’s highest mountain and one of the tallest in the Alps. The Grossglockner straddles the border between the states of Carinthia and Osttirol and is the highest peak of the Glockner group, a mountain range along the Hohe Tauern’s main ridge. At the foot of Grossglockner is the eastern Alps’ largest glacier, the Pasterze. Following the construction of the Hochalpenstrasse - a road which winds its way up to 2,572m above sea level - the Grossglockner has developed into a popular tourist destination.

The Vienna Philharmonic is considered as one of the world's finest orchestras - in 2006 it was voted as Europe's best classical orchestra by leading journalists. Founded in 1842, when Otto Nicolai first picked musicians from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna Philharmonic first performed in March 1842, with subscription concerts being held since 1860. The orchestra has attracted some acclaimed conductors over the years including Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein. The Vienna Philharmonic now holds about ten subscription concerts a year plus the annual Nicolai Concert and the traditional New Year's Concert which is dedicated to the work of the Strauss dynasty.

The Danube Cycle Path is regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful bike rides and is also one of the continent's most famous long-distance hiking trails. The route travels along both banks of the Danube, crossing the river several times and offering a unique perspective on the serene and pristine landscapes od the Wachau region. The cycle route passes historic castles, splendid monasteries, idyllic vineyards and fertile orchards and also takes in attractive villages, baroque market towns and plenty of startling scenery.

Thanks to its unique location, grapes, figs and other tropical fruit grow in the Swiss village of Quinten. A village of 55 inhabitants on a small ledge between the Walensee and the rising Churfirsten rock faces, Quinten's location next to the mountains - which are also popular with hikers - mean that it is protected from the northerly winds ensuring mild temperatures all year round and a perfect environment to grow decidedly un-Swiss tropical fruit 434m above sea level.

The glamorous Vienna Opera Ball is the most important society event of the year in Austria. Every year artists, entrepreneurs, politicians and dignitaries from Austria and all over the world gather for the Opera Ball on the last Thursday of the carnival season at the Vienna Opera House. First organised as a charity event in 1936, around 4,700 attend the ball each year, with special guests in recent years including Sophia Loren, Geri Halliwell, Carmen Electra, Pamela Anderson and Paris Hilton.

The Neusiedler See is one of Europe’s few steppe lakes - lakes which have no rivers flowing in or out. Straddling the border between with Hungary, the Neusiedler See is Austria’s largest lake covering 315km squared, 240km squared of which are in Austria. Mostly very shallow and largely surrounded by reed beds, the area enjoys a mild climate. The Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park was founded in 1993 and comprises the lake’s eastern and southern shores. The 300km squared nature reserve is Austria’s first cross-border national park and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Paddle steamers from the turn of the 19th century still cruise on Lake Lucerne. Along with Lake Geneva, Lake Lucerne boasts one of the biggest paddle steamer fleets in the world and the steamers operate all year round. Prior to the construction of the Axenstrasse between 1863 and 1865, the waterway provided the only route between the canton of Uri and the Gotthard Pass and was thus the best route from the hanseatic towns in the north to the ports and commercial towns of the Mediterranean, like Genoa and Venice.

Switzerland may be famous for watchmaking and banking, but the nation also has an impressive record in science, boasting 27 Nobel prize winners. Winterthur-born Richard Ernst won the 1991 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, while other notable recent achievements saw St. Gallen-born Heinrich Rohrer share the 1986 Nobel Prize for Physics while Riehen's Rolf Zinkernagel was a joint recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. In total, 113 Nobel prize winners have some connection with Switzerland, not least among them Albert Einstein, who was born in Germany but completed his schooling in Switzerland, and won the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics.