On the southern edge of Schwäbisch Gmünd, near the Schirenhof farm, the outline of a Roman fort and the foundations of its bath house lie in the grass, with walls and hypocaust heating systems laid out for visitors to see. The fort guarded the point where the Upper Germanic Limes met the Raetian Limes, the two great frontier lines of Roman Germany, and a civilian settlement grew up around it. The site is part of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire, and it is one of the more rewarding Limes stops in Baden-Württemberg, with visible remains and a lovely setting above the town.
Schwäbisch Gmünd is one of the oldest Staufer towns, with a cathedral-like church, the Heilig-Kreuz-Münster, among the earliest late Gothic hall churches in southern Germany, and a long tradition of gold and silversmithing that continues in workshops and a design school. The old town has half-timbered houses, fountains and a lively market square.
To the north rise the three Kaiserberge, the emperor mountains: Hohenstaufen, Hohenrechberg and Stuifen, conical hills on the edge of the Swabian Jura. The Hohenstaufen was the seat of the Staufer dynasty, which produced emperors such as Frederick Barbarossa, and the ruins on top give wide views over the countryside. The roads around these hills are a rider's delight, winding up and down through forests and farmland, with tight bends, good surfaces and plenty of other motorcyclists on sunny weekends.
The Rems valley, running west from Gmünd toward Stuttgart, has easier roads through vineyards and orchards, and the Swabian Jura, to the south, offers steep climbs, limestone cliffs and the high plateau of the Alb. Speed checks and noise controls are common on popular biker roads.
Schwäbisch Gmünd, about two kilometres away, has fuel, food and every service. Swabian food is hearty and delicious: Maultaschen, Spätzle, Linsen mit Spätzle, lentils with noodles and sausages, and Zwiebelrostbraten, roast beef with crispy onions. The Kaiserberge are greenest in May and at their most golden in October. Climb the Hohenstaufen for the view, then come back down and walk among the foundations of the Roman bath house, where soldiers once relaxed after a day on the frontier.