In the fields near Wassertrüdingen, in the soft valley of the Wörnitz and the hills of Middle Franconia, lie the buried remains of a Roman fort that once held an auxiliary unit of several hundred soldiers. Unterschwaningen was one of the larger posts on the Raetian section of the frontier, built in the second century to guard the line and the road behind it. Around it, as at every fort, a civilian settlement grew up, with houses, workshops, bathhouses and a cemetery, and the place must have been noisy and smoky, the roar of a small frontier town. Today the area is mostly farmland, and the outlines are visible only from the air, in dry summers, when crop marks trace the walls.
The area has its own quiet interest. It lies at the edge of the Franconian Heights, in a landscape of gentle ridges and woodland, with hop gardens, meadows and a few small ponds, and the Hesselberg, at over six hundred metres the highest hill in Middle Franconia, rises to the south-west. The Limes is part of the UNESCO site that spans the whole frontier, and a few markers and information boards help walkers visualise the old line.
Riding is calm and enjoyable. The roads here are smooth, with a mix of long gentle curves and village crossings, and the traffic is light apart from agricultural vehicles in the busy seasons. Weekends bring other motorcyclists, and the Altmühl valley, to the east, is a popular destination with a more varied route. Spring and autumn give the best light, and early winter mornings can have frost, so watch for icy patches in shade. Fog is common in autumn.
Wassertrüdingen, three kilometres away, is a small town of about six thousand people, with fuel, a bakery, shops and a handful of inns, and the medieval walled town of Dinkelsbühl, a famous stop on the Romantic Road, lies to the south-west. Try a Franconian dish such as Schäufele, roast pork shoulder with a dumpling, and the regional beer, often a malty lager. Roman remains in this area are mostly under the fields, so do not expect to see walls, and respect private land. A local museum in the region collects finds from the Limes.