Jagsthausen is a village of around fifteen hundred people in the Jagst valley of northern Württemberg, and it punches far above its weight in history. The Romans built a fort here on the Upper German-Raetian Limes, with a civilian settlement and a bath house, part of the UNESCO-listed frontier. But the village is better known for a later resident: Götz von Berlichingen, the knight with the iron hand, who was born in the castle here around 1480. He lost his right hand in battle and had a mechanical one made, led peasants in the war of 1525, and became the hero of a play by Goethe that contains a famously rude line that Germans still quote.
The castle, known as the Götzenburg, still belongs to the Berlichingen family and houses a hotel and restaurant, and every summer it hosts open-air theatre festivals, with Goethe's play as a regular feature. The Roman remains, including the foundations of the bath house, are displayed near the castle, and a small museum tells the story of both Romans and knights.
The Jagst valley is one of the most beautiful in southern Germany for riders, and one of the least crowded. The river winds lazily through meadows, past old mills and villages, between steep wooded slopes, and the road follows it with gentle curves, occasionally climbing onto the plateau for wide views. The nearby Kocher valley, running parallel to the south, offers similar pleasures, and the roads connecting the two valleys over the hills are short and twisty. Surfaces are good, traffic light, and the landscape changes with the seasons, from spring blossom to autumn colours.
Jagsthausen has an inn or two, but for fuel and more services, Forchtenberg, Möckmühl or Öhringen are better bets. The region is known for its wine, especially in the Kocher and Tauber valleys, and for hearty Swabian and Franconian food, including Maultaschen, Schäufele and Spätzle. Schöntal Abbey, a baroque monastery a few kilometres upstream, is a beautiful stop, and the castle-studded valley of the Neckar is less than an hour away.