The Roman frontier in Germany starts at the Rhine near Rheinbrohl and climbs into the hills of the Westerwald, and Watchtower WP 1/73, near Hillscheid, belongs to that first stretch. The numbers tell you where you are: section one, tower seventy-three. All that survives is a low mound in the woods, but in the second and third centuries it was a stone tower with a view over the frontier line and, behind it, the palisade and ditch that ran across the landscape. The Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes has been part of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire since 2005, and this is where it all begins.
The area around Höhr-Grenzhausen and Hillscheid is known as the Kannenbäckerland, the land of the jug bakers, because of its rich deposits of clay and its long tradition of making salt-glazed stoneware. The typical grey jugs with cobalt-blue decoration have been produced here for centuries, and you can visit workshops and a ceramics museum. Further east, Montabaur has a striking yellow castle on a hill, and the Westerwald plateau stretches away in a patchwork of forests, meadows and small villages.
The riding is enjoyable, especially if you like rolling hills and forests. The roads between Koblenz and the Westerwald climb steeply out of the Rhine valley, with tight bends and great views back over the river. Up on the plateau, the roads become more open, with long curves through farmland and woods. Weather in the Westerwald can be harsh, with rain, fog and even snow in winter, so check the forecast. Traffic is moderate, but busier near Koblenz and the motorway junctions.
Höhr-Grenzhausen, five kilometres away, has fuel, shops and cafés, and Koblenz, a city of over a hundred thousand at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle, has everything else. Look for a local inn serving Westerwald dishes such as Döppekuchen, a hearty potato cake with bacon, or a simple schnitzel with fries. If you are interested in pottery, pick up a small stoneware jug as a souvenir; it travels well in a tank bag if you wrap it carefully.