South of Bonn the Kottenforst climbs onto the same ridge that carries the villages of Wachtberg and the town of Meckenheim, and the woods here feel older and quieter than the suburbs around them. Beech and oak stand over a floor of leaf mould, with springs and small streams that gather in damp hollows, and the old hunting rides still run ruler-straight through the trees. The name Villiprot is one of those forest place names that sounds Roman, and the forest does carry Roman traces: the Eifel aqueduct, which brought spring water to Cologne over about ninety-five kilometres, crossed this country, and parts of its line can be followed on walking trails.
That aqueduct is one of the great Roman engineering works north of the Alps, built in the first century AD and carrying water mostly in a buried channel with a very gentle fall. Along the way it passed under hills and over valleys, and the arched bridge sections that crossed valleys have long since disappeared. Mineral deposits from the water built up inside the channel as limestone, and the stone was later cut and used for church and house decoration. A visit to the section in the forest is quiet and modest, but the story of Cologne's thirst is quite something.
Wachtberg and Meckenheim have between them nearly fifty thousand people, so fuel and food are straightforward, with bakeries, supermarkets and small restaurants in every village. The riding is a mix of forest lanes and open ridge roads, with good surfaces, easy bends and modest traffic. To the south the land drops into the Ahr valley, a wine region known for red Spatburgunder, and a bit east the Siebengebirge rises over the Rhine, with the castle ruin of Drachenfels. These make a good day out from the forest.
The best seasons are spring, when the beeches come into leaf, and autumn, when the woods turn copper. Summer weekends bring walkers and cyclists, so take care on the forest roads. Deer and wild boar are common at dusk. Orchards on the edge of the forest sell apples and cherries from stalls, usually on an honesty system, so keep some coins in your pocket.