Bad Ems is the sort of town that makes you straighten your collar. It lies in the narrow, wooded valley of the Lahn river, where hot springs have been used since Roman times, and in the nineteenth century it became one of the great spa towns of Europe. Kings, tsars and writers came to take the waters, among them Kaiser Wilhelm I, who was at Ems in July 1870 when a diplomatic telegram was edited by Bismarck and helped trigger the Franco-Prussian War. The Kurhaus, the colonnades and the grand hotels along the river still show what the town was like in those days.
The watchtowers on the heights above belong to a much older story. The Roman frontier, the Upper Germanic Limes, crosses the Lahn here, and the code WP 1/89 to 1/92 refers to numbered watchtowers along this stretch. The Romans built timber towers first and later replaced them with stone, and there is a fort in the area as well. On the ridge above the valley the line of the frontier runs through forest, where a footpath follows the course of the old palisade, and the wooded hills give a feeling of how remote and exposed the posting would have been.
For riders, the Lahn valley is a pleasure. The roads along the river wind between steep, wooded slopes and vineyards, and the valley is narrow enough that the bends come naturally. The B260 and the side roads over the Taunus and the Westerwald offer more twists and climbs, with some tight hairpins. Traffic is moderate, and in summer there are many cyclists, so be patient. Spring and autumn bring the best colours, and winter fog can fill the valley.
Bad Ems has almost 10,000 people and has fuel, supermarkets and restaurants, while Dausenau, a small village two kilometres up the river, is famous for its half-timbered houses and a leaning church tower. Nassau, with its castle, is a short ride upstream, and Koblenz is a short ride downstream. Try the local wine, a dry Riesling, or a plate of Flammkuchen, and consider a walk on the river path. The spa tradition survives, and a short dip in the thermal baths is an option for a stiff rider.