Above Leutesdorf, on the right bank of the Rhine between Neuwied and Bad Hönningen, the hills climb steeply from the river, covered with vineyards and forests, and the Roman frontier ran along their crest. Watchtowers WP 1/21 and 1/22 stood here in the early part of the Upper Germanic Limes, just a few kilometres from its starting point at Rheinbrohl, watching over the valley and the lands beyond. Today the tower sites are quiet spots in the woods, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage site.
Leutesdorf is a wine village with a long history. Its steep slopes produce Riesling and other wines, and the village has narrow streets, old houses and a riverside promenade. Across the river lies Andernach, one of the oldest towns in Germany, founded by the Romans as Antunnacum. Andernach is known for its cold-water geyser, the highest of its kind in the world, which shoots water up to sixty metres into the air. A boat trip takes you to the geyser on a peninsula in the Rhine, and a museum explains the geology behind it.
The riding is a mix of river valley and hills. The B42 along the right bank of the Rhine is scenic but busy, with frequent villages and low speed limits. The roads that climb up from Leutesdorf and Hammerstein into the Westerwald are much more interesting, with steep, twisting sections through vineyards and forests, and great views back over the river. On the other side, the Eifel offers volcanic landscapes, with crater lakes, such as the Laacher See, and quiet country roads.
The Neuwied Basin, where the Rhine valley widens briefly, was shaped by volcanic activity, and the area is rich in pumice and basalt. The last major eruption, around thirteen thousand years ago, created the Laacher See and covered the region in ash. The vineyards above Leutesdorf benefit from the warm microclimate of the valley, and the forests are home to deer, wild boar and many bird species.
Leutesdorf has a few restaurants and wine taverns, but for fuel, Andernach, about four kilometres away across the river, or Neuwied, are the better options. Sit on the riverside terrace with a glass of local Riesling and watch the barges go by.