Arberg lies in the rolling country of Middle Franconia, where the Altmühl and Wörnitz rivers wander through meadows and the hills are crowned with small woods. The Roman Limes crossed this ground in the second century, and the towers numbered 13/40 belong to the Raetian section, close to the point where the frontier was a stone wall. Today the line is mostly hidden. Farmers have ploughed over it, and trees have grown on the old bank, and in a few places a wooden marker or a stone footing shows where a tower stood. The nearest big fort was at Unterschwaningen, a few kilometres away, and the garrison there sent patrols to the towers.
It is worth saying what a ride to a spot like this really involves. You are not going to a monument but to a place in the landscape, and the pleasure is in the lanes that lead there. The Wörnitz valley is a gentle trough of damp meadows, willow trees and herons, with mill ponds, small churches and farmhouses of half-timber and stone. The hill of the Hesselberg, the highest in the region, rises to the west with a view that on a clear day stretches to the Swabian Alb. Dinkelsbühl, one of the best preserved walled towns in Germany, lies within easy reach to the south-west.
Roads are small and smooth, with gentle curves and a mix of woodland and open field, and the traffic is light. This is not a challenging area for the rider, but a restful one, with views and quiet villages. Tractors and trailers dominate in the harvest season, and the smell of silage and cut hay is strong. Spring blossom and autumn mist are both attractive, while thunderstorms can roll in on warm afternoons. Fog gathers in the valleys in the cold months.
Arberg is a village of a couple of thousand people, four kilometres off, and Wassertrüdingen, eight kilometres away, is the nearest town that offers fuel, supermarkets and a choice of inns. Try a Franconian beer and a Schäufele with potato dumpling, or a slice of cake in a bakery café. Respect the field tracks and forest gates, which are often closed to motor vehicles, and view the Limes line from the public paths. A small information sign may mark the site, and local tourist offices have leaflets about the Limes route.